What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas?
by OchaRiku
Summary: A drink. Two drinks. One long night. In the midst of their hangover, Shizuru and Natsuki find themselves in a situation that can potentially change the rest of their lives. How will they ever make sure this problem -stays- in Vegas?
1. Headaches

**DISCLAIMER: Actually, I do claim Shizuru and Natsuki… in the far corners of my mind :P Sunrise… let me have your characters! O.O**

**Warning: If you couldn't get the hint from the title or the story description, I'm here to remind you again: this story is AU (and somewhat OOC). If you're fine with that, keep ****reading.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Headaches<span>

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

That's the only thing I seem to feel right now. At first, I think it's my heart beating, but the pressure is coming from above my shoulders and it's too painful for that organ to be the cause of distress. I'm not in any relationship, so it wouldn't make since for me to have heartache. After that, I contemplate whether or not Nao is slapping me on my forehead.

Nao…

I try to remember where that devilish friend of mine is, but when I attempt to processes the littlest bit of information regarding that crazy redhead, a force slams back my thoughts, thumping against the middle of my forehead. And once again, there's that sound.

_Thump._

I feel slow as shit since I've just now realized that thumping nonsense is my forehead, and that I've got a headache. Okay, I'm under exaggerating. I have a fucking migraine.

"Uhhh…" my voice gurgles out of my throat, which feels like it's beginning to swell with fluids. My eyelids peel open, and rays of light passing through the windows of whatever room I'm in attack my face, forcing me to close my eyes again. My head slowly rolls to the side until my cheek is lying on my shoulder and is parallel with the carpet floors. I grope my hand through the soft shags of carpet as if I was previously paralyzed and just regained feeling of the right side of my body. I shyly open my eyes again, trying to be more cautious of the invading light. Luckily this side of the room that my head is facing is covered in more shadows than patches of light, so I keep blinking until my hazy vision is cleared.

_Thump._

Fuck, that hurts.

I lay there for a couple more minutes, regaining more function of my brain with the passing time. It's after about five more minutes that I'm finally able to piece together coherent information before my brain hits a roadblock.

Nao and her band, which is somewhat appropriately named "The Insects" (except for the fact Nao's creature in the band is a spider, but she wouldn't listen to me when I kept telling her a spider wasn't an insect), were invited to perform at the MGM Grand, a renowned Las Vegas Casino, due to the band's growing international popularity. Surely, that popularity grew because of my great photography of the band at its performances back home in Japan, as well as capturing each of the member's personal lives with the snap of my camera lens. Being the band's personal photographer, friend, and most importantly, Nao's best friend, I was allowed to accompany the band to Las Vegas, where each of us got our own suite in the hotel above the Casino.

The next scene my memories venture to is Nao's band performing at the Grand Garden Arena. Then in the middle of the performance, a nude man tries to jump on stage but is tackled by security guards _(I'm hoping I have I pic of that…)_. I'm starting to get really pissed at myself now, and this goddamned headache, as blackness begins to edge its way around the internal images in my mind. The last thing I recall is heading down to the casino, congratulating the band on their performance while on our way there, and then – bam.

Everything's blank. A black out, rather.

_Thump, thump._

I begin to lift my left hand from the ground in attempt to hold my aching head, but something is restricting its movement – something slim and soft. I dare to turn my head in the direction of whatever that could be and find fingers interlaced in mine.

"W-What… the hell…"

A flawless looking arm extends from the hand above my head, and I'm guessing that's where the soft hand's owner is laying. A sudden wave of fear courses through my body. I'm not sure who the fuck this is laying here with me, and as I pay more attention to detail, I can feel a breeze coming from drafts of air in the room on my skin. It's a little bit _too_ cool in some areas – if you know what I mean… oh God…

I gulp to try and ease my nerves, feeling my saliva roughly descend down my dried esophagus. Though my brain may be a little fucked over right now, I have enough sense to know that Las Vegas + my exposed skin = a no, no. A **BIG** 'no, no'. It's not like whatever could be happening would worry my parents out of their graves, but it'd be enough to put a setback in my career as a photographer, if I have to be overly concerned with my health.

Let's just hope this soft hand doesn't belong to one of those Jersey guys. Whaddaya call them? Gui-somethings. Whatever. I've only seen Nao watching that show (Jersey… Shack? Eh… close enough) a couple of times when I stop by at her apartment, so I don't remember. And thank God for that, because I don't think I _want_ to remember.

But I do remember that those Gui-things are awfully tan, and this marble-like arm and hand are far from the same skin tone as that fake spray tan. See? The situation's already looking up for me. Wait. Was there someone on that show named Situation?

…

Let me remind Nao to turn that shit off the next time I come over. Well, if there is a next time, since the outcome of this event will ultimately be the decider of that.

I tilt my head upwards just enough to see beautiful locks of ebony hair, its texture appearing just as soft as that hand I'm clinging onto–

Wait a minute.

I let go of the hand, deciding maybe that's not the best thing I should be doing right now. The sudden action seemed to have pulled the other person out of their slumber, but not completely waking them up. They move their body closer, and when the top of their head grazes my shoulder, my body involuntarily flinches forward, causing our faces to be only inches apart. This person in question is a girl, actually. A girl. A girl... a girl? HOLY SHIT.

I jerk my body from the ground, raising only my top half off the floor. I look down at the lower half of my body and find that I'm only clad in my fancy black laced underwear. But the situation only gets worse when I realize that the top half of my body is topless. _Braless_, even. I anxiously reach for the disheveled white bed sheets that were not on top of the bed, but on the floor next to our bodies, and wrap it around my body.

Damn, we must've gotten it on... with the sheets off the bed and waking up on the floor.

It takes me a couple of seconds to realize that 'getting it on' with a girl I don't even know isn't something to be glowering over, but at least I can say she's beautiful. As I begin to stand, I look back at the chestnut-haired girl. Her form fitting blouse was unbuttoned, and like me, she was only wearing panties on her bottom half. However, I must say I'm a little jealous when I look at her bright red lingerie. Its intricate designs clearly show it's at a higher value compared to mine, but I really shouldn't be worrying about things like that right now.

_Thump, thump._

My hand rests on my forehead, wiping a layer of sweat from it. Before I can even register the increasing pain of my migraine, my throat feels like a volcano on the brink of erupting. As fast as my feet can carry me, I try to run in the direction of the bathroom, until I realize I don't know where said bathroom is. My feet carry me to the corner of the room, and I begin to heave until it feels like I've thrown up my entire digestive system.

After five more minutes of non-stop hurling and causing a burn in my abs as if I've been working out, I finally run out of things to throw up, though now I'm feeling awfully dehydrated. My brain subconsciously drifts off to Nao, wondering where she is and if she's looking for me. I chuckle to myself though, knowing full and well that's not the case. She's probably a) sleeping, b) eating, c) practicing her singing, d) picking up some guy, or e) all of the above. If those were the answer choices on a test, I'd probably eliminate down to answers 'a' or 'e', but then again, Nao's too lazy to be doing all of that. So yeah, she's probably sleeping. And hey, it's not like I can't say I wasn't but maybe,_ just maybe_ my prolonged sleeping had to do something with a gnarly hangover, don't you think?

I bring the back of my left hand to wipe the remains of goo off my face, until I notice something cold against my skin. And I know my throw up's not cold.

I slowly glide my hand back in front of my face, but instead of using it to wipe away more gunk, I simply stare at it. Well, to be more specific, I am looking at a certain something on a finger of my hand. I am so entranced with the sight to even notice the slight commotion behind me as the other girl in the room awakens, raises her body and looks at her hand with a similar expression to mine.

Slowly but surely I turn my body to face hers, though my gaze never leaves my hand, and neither does hers.

"We're–"  
>"We're–" We both say simultaneously, our eyes set on our matching rings.<p>

"MARRIED?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Welps, the first part of my crazy ShizNat story is over! Get ready for more! By the way, the rating is most likely going to change...**

**Oh yeah, sorry about soooo many Jersey Shore references. I was watching a little on MTV, and was inspired to just have Natsuki trash the show. Because, well, Natsuki's awesome, and can trash anything she wants to. But honestly, the pun about the Situation was completely accidental, and I had realized I'd done it about ten minutes after I wrote the line. Also, I mean no racial offense to those offended by the term "Guido," because the only reason I used it was for comedic effect (although I kind of LOL'ed at the word's definition on Urban Dictionary). So if you were upset about it, I'll get our married couple to bake you a cupcake, and then personally deliver it to your house. Fair enough? :3**

**And if you don't know what Jersey Shore is… well, I'll leave whatever you choose to do up to you.**

**R&R to make Ocha-chan happy!**

…

**Okay, enough of me talking in 3****rd**** person. And speaking of 3****rd**** person, was Natsuki's POV easy for you all to read and understand? I don't usually write in that POV, so sorry if it was kind of awkward. **

**Have an awesome day (and make mine awesome by reviewing!)**

– **Ocha-chan**


	2. Trapping a Secret

**DISCLAIMER: Yes, in my dreams, I own MaiHiME. Sadly, that's not the case in real life…**

* * *

><p><span>Trapping a Secret<span>

"Okay, let me get this straight…," I say, trying to recollect my thoughts. "We met at the casino's bar, and you ordered me a drink?" I pause, watching the blue-haired girl nod in response. "And then… we had a couple more… and more after that…"

"Correct."

"A-And then we… we danced…"

"Yeps, and apparently very slutty at that."

"Ara, Kami-sama…" I mutter into my palm, which is now covering my face. Last night's events are still dampened by a rather thick fog for me, and I'm unable to map out what occurred, though this girl… Natsuki, she seems to have a source of information. "Who told you all of that?"

"My friend did when I called her after getting dressed."

"Oh," I bluntly respond, coming to remember that the midnight-haired girl was in a bit of a discussion before finishing up in the suite's bathroom. Though I really regret answering like that because the loud silence following afterwards is piercing, let me tell you. It's as awkward as waking up the previous day solely as the candidate running for governor of Tokyo's daughter, and waking up the next day as some chick's wife. Ara, that sounds awfully familiar, no?

"Uh…" The other girl awkwardly laughs while scratching the back of her head. I do admit that she is pretty adorable. I guess I have to discard the thought of her spiking my drink – she doesn't seem like that type. Hell I was probably so drunk that I spiked my own drink. And don't judge, all types of bad drinking habits can creep up on you after being close friends with two regular drinkers. Damn them, Yohko and Midori! I simply don't understand how they can down so many shots while I can't even handle one.

I promised my dad at the start of his campaign that I would be on the best of my behavior so there wouldn't be that much dirt kicked up regarding anything about him. I said that without much thought because, I mean, really – how hard could that be? I was already a straight A student in high school, Student Council President, and now I'm at the top of my class at Tokyo U. Not much to hide right?

Oh wait. I forgot. _'Hey dad, I just wanted to tell you that while I was visiting Vegas, I went to a Casino, got super drunk, grinded on some other drunk girl, had sex with her, and somewhere in the midst of that we got married. Just thought I'd let you know.'_

Ara, that's _really_ keeping my promise with my dad. It can't get much cleaner than that…

My stomach turns just at the thought of telling my dad such a thing. And damn, do I feel stupid. In just one night I have jeopardized all of my dad's hard work and money for his campaign trail. And now I've become a roadblock. Or would it called a trail-block in this case? Ehh, you get the point.

"Er, are you okay?"

"Ara, does it make sense to be feeling 'okay' in this situation?"

"Hmmm," the girl says while flipping open her ringing cellphone. "You've got a point, it doesn't. Let me take this real quick," the girl presses a green button on the keypad of her phone.

"Nao–"

'_AHAHAHAHAHAHAA'_ I can hear her friend's voice coming loudly through the speakers.

'_EVER SINCE YOU TOLD ME THIS MORNING I'VE BEEN IN TEARS! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? HAHAHA–'_

"Nao…," the girl frowns before sympathetically smiling at me. Ara, I wonder if the look on my face right now gives her any hint of how un-funny this situation is.

'_S-Sorry…,'_ the girl's friend says, even though she's obviously still chuckling. _'Only you, Kuga, wouldn't be able to make it one night in Vegas before getting screwed over. …And now that I think about it, I mean that figuratively and literally. Great job, kid.'_

"Shut up!"

"Hey, Kuga-san," I speak up. I really don't think she understands how much of a problem this is.

"Nao, I've got to go… can you just please bring me another set of clothes," the blunette said before embarrassedly gazing my way. "I'm feeling kinda… dirty with these on. Well, thanks."

"Kuga-san!" I call out again, even though she's only like two feet from me. "Listen to me. We've got to end _this_," I say while gesturing to the both of us. "I've really screwed up… so can you please just help me out?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"We need to go to a court or something to get our relationship fixed. But please make sure that you and your friends don't say anything… we've got to make sure this _stays_ in Vegas."

* * *

><p>After I'm fully over my hangover, go to my room in the hotel to pick up my clothes, and wait for Natsuki's friend to give her a new set of clothes, the both of us step into my rental car, and I let the GPS system direct me to a nearby court. I can't possibly allow her to ride in the car my dad left for me – people would be asking too many questions. Apparently it'd be too dangerous for me to stay out here by myself if people know who I am and who my father is, so he sent his political personnel to guard me by driving me to and fro.<p>

Such great bodyguards they are – I haven't even received a call from my father's 'personnel'.

"So,… Fujino-san," the girl in the passenger seat says out of nowhere.

"Yes?" I turn my head to face her briefly.

"What are you out here in Las Vegas for? Did you transfer here to go to college or something?"

At her words I am dumbfounded, so much in fact that I almost lose control of my Toyota and nearly rear-end the back of this Buick in front of me.

"D-Did I say something wrong?" The blunette says while bracing her back on the face of the leather seat.

"Ara… do you actually not know who I am?" I mean, I did tell her my full name while we were at MGM Grand. Shizuru Fujino. And that name, along with my father's, obviously, has been surfing the tongues of paparazzi since my dad first entered the running a while ago.

"What," the girl chuckles, "don't tell me you're some celebrity or something. I'm around those enough already."

"Hmm... I guess I am one, but at the same time I'm not. But I don't really think it's important for me to tell you anything since I'll be leaving Vegas soon" I cooed. I am scheduled to leave Vegas tomorrow morning and head back to Japan, and if this is not fixed, I honestly do not know how I'm going to contact the Japanese-American girl again.

Wait, unless…

"Kuga-san…," I begin to ask, suddenly feeling anxious to know more about the girl.

"Hmm?"

"You've asked me so I only think it's fair to ask you… what are you doing in Las Vegas? I assume you've lived in America for quite a while, but I don't necessarily take you for a Vegas girl. Because you would've probably known exactly what to do after waking up this morning, right?" I end with one of my fictitious laughs.

To my surprise, the other girl doesn't follow suit and return the laughter, like most people, but instead she peers into my eyes with her ivy irises, her face appearing confused due the slight rise of her eyebrows.

I should really pay more attention to the road and not to her face...

"What makes you think that?" The girl questions, the slightly irritated tone becoming more apparent behind her words.

"Um,-"

"Forget it. All I'm saying is that my home is in Japan. And I'm not giving you a straight answer until you do the same."

"Fine," I say uncaringly. Though Natsuki doesn't realize it, I got the answer I wanted from her without asking her straightforward. So she lives in Japan, huh? "Do you know about the race for governor of Tokyo?" I continue.

"…Umm…," the girl nervously chuckles and scratches her head.

... Cute.

"I guess politics isn't my forte," the girl admits.

"Who was the last governor you know of?"

"Uhhh… Seiichiro Yasui?"

"A-Ara…"

"What?"

"Kuga-san, Seiichiro-sama's last term ended… in 1959…"

I turn my head so my eyes were no longer gazing out the windshield, but locking in with emeralds instead. For a second, Natsuki seems highly confused, and then her gaze widens when she realizes how far off she is.

"Damn."

At that, I begin to laugh whole-heartily, which is definitely odd to me. It's been so long since I've heard the sound of my own voice flow naturally from my throat rather than forcing it. So far on my dad's campaign trail, I've only met fake, stuck up people, where fake laughter was 'natural'. I close my eyes to solely focus on my own laughter, even though I know my gaze has been off the road for a while. But I'm enjoying this brief feeling more so than worrying about anything else right now. When I return my gaze to my passenger, I find her peering out the front window smiling as well.

If I wasn't in this predicament with her, I can see us being friends.

Too bad that's not the case. I think becoming close with her may be a mistake. And I've already made a rather crucial one.

"Okay, Kuga-san, here's your answ–"

'_You have reached your destination'_

I stare bewildered at the navigation screen before remembering I'm the one that turned it on. I finish my route by turning into the parking lot of the court house.

Once I park, Natsuki and I wordlessly step out of my car and enter the court.

"Hello, ma'am," I begin in fluent English while walking towards a woman sitting behind a desk. "I am here for–"

"A divorce, I know." The tired looking woman says.

"Ara, how'd you–"

"This is Las Vegas." Damn, if this woman interrupts me one more–

"Follow me so you and your… husband can handle this in a private manner."

I'm shocked by her statement. First of all, she managed to interrupt my _thoughts_, for goodness sake. And, ara, did she just refer to Natsuki as my… _husband_?

Natsuki and I are still planted where we are while the woman enters the room without waiting for us.

"W-Why am I the husband?" Natsuki pouts. I was about to respond by saying 'I don't know', until I looked over the girl's clothes. I didn't realize until now what she had changed into.

"Oh."

"'Oh' what?" Natsuki said with… a blush? …A-Anyways, I scan over her attire, which happens to be one of those dress shirt and bowtie tees. Over that she's wearing a black, form fitting blazer with the top and bottom buttons of the three on the jacket unbuttoned. The sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. Her cargo pants hang loosely around her slim waist, held up by a black belt with a 'DC' buckle. To complete the outfit, she's wearing grey Chucks. I slowly look back up to her face, accidentally appearing as if I was inspecting more than just her clothes, and can see a deeper blush on her face. Crap, didn't mean to do that.

"U-Uh, Fujino-san… what are you..?" I ignore answering her though and return my attention back to what I'm really here for. Hopefully she didn't notice my own embarrassment.

"H-Hey, wait up!"

Natsuki stumbles into the room after me, and we both sit across the wooden table from the annoyed looking court clerk. I wonder for a second why she looks so distressed and is taking it out on us until I remember that America's economy is doing kinda rough. I almost feel bad for her, until I am reminded of her rudeness.

"Here's the Letter of Complaint. Fill it out." The woman throws a paper across the table in our direction. I pick up the sheet and read it over. It looks like this'll obviously take some time to complete. More time than I have.

"Which one of you is the petitioner?" The woman looks us both over before setting her gaze on me again. "I'm guessing you are. You look like the snappy type."

"Excuse me?" Okay. Forget the struggling economy crap. There's no need to be a bitch.

"See?" The woman says before rolling her eyes and continuing on with her directions. Natsuki nudged my shoulder and mouth 'what an ass' in Japanese, causing me to smirk and nod in agreement. "And you, the respondent will look over the paper next. ... I wonder when Officer Charlie is going to get back from the fucking donut shop so he can serve the petition…" the woman says, mumbling the last sentence to herself.

The pen in the pencil holder next to me remains there while I look over the paper. This document looks like it'll take a millennium to complete.

"Is there… a faster way to do this?"

"Does this look like a fast-food joint to you?"

"Hey, you don't need to be rude," Natsuki spoke up in English, honestly surprising me that she took my defense.

"Is there a process where our divorce can be recognized by tomorrow at least?" At my question, the woman's eyes widen while the corners of her mouth begin to perk upwards. She looks constipated.

In an instant she reels over in her chair with laughter, leaving me feeling not only disrespected and annoyed, but confused. What is she laughing at?

"May I have in on the joke here?"

"Yeah, if you want to have in on yourself." … A-Ara, this woman is really testing me…

"Once again, what?"

"Listen here, honey, it will take at least four months for your divorce to be legally recognized. What I'm saying is that there is no way for you to get a divorce by today."

What.

"What do you mean I can't get one?! Are you kidding me?" I retort in Japanese. I can feel a mixture of emotions swirl through my body. I can sense hints of anger, anxiousness, uncertainty, but most of all, fear.

I have no idea how I can keep my Las Vegas marriage out of the hands of the paparazzi for four. Fucking. Months. Actually, there's no way I can do that... they'll find out eventually. Either them, or my father's competition's aids.

"Fujino-san, calm down."

"Dammit, Natsuki. I can't 'calm down'. This situation… it's… it's…." my voice begins to crack when I think of my father. How hard he worked for this. How he supported the both of us to his best ability when my good-for-nothing mother left us that night.

He doesn't deserve the consequences of what may happen if this one-night fling and marriage is revealed.

I stand up from my chair and swivel on my heel to head towards the door. Behind me I can hear Natsuki say, "keep your damn papers." If it weren't for my sobs, I'd be smirking right now, but I continue to trek to my car, hiding my face.

I hate crying.

It makes me feel so weak.

I unlock the door and sit in the driver's seat, though I do not start the car. I sit there for a few seconds in silence thinking to myself, resting my head on the leather headrest and wiping the tears from my face. My heart jumps when I hear the car door on my side open, and my mind instantly asks how my karma got so fucked up. Then I remember that it's Natsuki.

"Hey," she says softly. "Let me drive… I don't think you can." I don't protest, because my mood is so low and I just feel like being alone in my own thoughts for now. Does this mean I need to keep Natsuki close by for four months until we can end our marriage? Fuck.

After I give her the keys and we switch seats, Natsuki starts driving, turns the radio up and begins humming whatever American song this is. I think I know it too… "Sexy and I Know It", perhaps. I hear Natsuki sing the chorus. Yep, I was right.

While listening to Natsuki's humming and finger tapping on the steering wheel, I can't help but think of what this marriage means to her. She's obviously against the marriage as well, though I don't see any other apparent concern on her face. A part of me is glad that she didn't ask why I'm so distraught, though I know I'll have to tell her eventually since we are... married. I begin to wonder where she works and why she's in Vegas, but my thoughts are interrupted when I hear the girl's "Monster" ringtone sound, followed by her husky voice.

"Yeah, Nao, I'm coming back now... Yep. Y – no… it'll take up to four months. …Yeah. I know it sucks. I don't know what I'm going to do. …Wait, what did you guys order from room service? … MIKOTO DID WHAT? Who fucking gave her the mayonnaise dip for the chicken wings? …Of course Mai did, of course. She's gonna be buying me a drink when I get there. Actually…" I can see Natsuki look in my direction on the window's reflection, "I don't think I want another drink for a while. …Who am I married to? Ah, well… I can't exactly tell you… I wanna keep this on the D.L, you know? Yeah… well, order some more wings and mayo for me. I'll be there in like… fifteen to twenty minutes. 'Kay, bye." She flips the phone shut and continues to hum and tap.

Natsuki isn't a bad girl at all actually. It's too bad we have these rings on our fingers.

Rings...

A cold chill runs down my spine when I think of how we were intimate just the previous night. I'm glad I can't remember how it was, or else I'd probably have a harder time speaking to her.

"You, uh, okay? N-Not that I care though," Natsuki says over the song playing on the radio. I smirk slightly at her last statement and turn my head away from the window to give her a faint smile and a nod.

"Maybe just a little."

"Good, cuz I'd feel like a bad person if I just left you at the hotel feeling like a wreck."

"Ara, would you?" I yawn. Post hangover still sucks as much as the initial hangover does. Don't let anyone fool you. Well, just subtract throwing up, decrease your migraine to a headache and add being tired as hell and you'd basically have the same thing.

"Yeah. I'm a pretty decent gal, Fujino, despite the situation we're in."

And there it is again, that chill from picturing what Natsuki and I may have done last night. Kami-sama…

We arrive at the MGM Grand and I specially tell Natsuki to park in an isolated section of the parking garage since I don't want any paparazzi to jump out from their hiding place and have a field day. Today has been stressful enough.

"I'm leaving tomorrow…" I begin, not knowing exactly where to finish. But it sounds weird just hanging there as the last thing said between us, so I'm glad when Natsuki finally answers and ceases the awkwardness.

"I'll be leaving sometime this week. I'm a photographer, so I'll be taking photos and such before leaving… eh, I suppose you don't care. Anyways, what are we going to do when I get back to Japan?"

"Honestly, I don't know. We have to keep track of each other but we can't be too close, you know?"

"Yeah... Give me your number."

"Ara, so Kuga'sis the demanding type?" I said playfully, immediately changing our serious conversation into a joke.

"Maybe I am for right now. Here," she hands me her phone, and I proceed to put in my cell number and a nickname, since I don't think it'd get any more suspicious than having _'Call/Text From: Shizuru Fujino'_ pop up on the screen.

Oh yes. That's definitely on the 'D.L'.

In return for her phone, she takes out a business card and slips it into my hand. "I've always got those handy," she says. I simply nod in response and take a look at the card. _So she's the personal photographer for a band and... works for a modeling company? Interesting..._

"If you call, make sure it's at night. I'm busy during the day," I begin walking to the elevator on the far right side of the parking garage before Natsuki says, "Call me anytime! I'll be prepared for any news you've got to share."

For some reason, I'm dreading whenever that call may be... because it probably won't be good news I have to share.

When I awake the next morning, I am happy to find my mind is clear and my head is normal. I get ready, pack my bags and leave, returning the room card on the way out. When I reach the airport in my disguise (which is basically a hoodie and some shades – paparazzi is **everywhere** nowadays!), I finally see my so called 'bodyguards'.

"Where were you guys this whole time?"

"Well, there's this really amazing donut shop here, and when we got there, a lot if cops were munching on their donuts and sipping their coffees. There was this guy named Charlie there, he and his friends were really nice."

"And naturally, we fit in," another body guard began. "So we talked about the easiest ways to take down people."

I began to tune out the two men as I noticed a familiar figure walking towards me.

This is not good…

"Oh, Shizuru! It's such a surprise to see you here!" She walks even closer and invades my personal space. She gives my bodyguards one of her psychotic stares, forcing them to walk away. What great bodyguards, once again.

"Yeah, it really is, Tomoe," I utter in the most sarcastic manner I could muster at the moment. This girl is such a freak. I don't know what's wrong with her, or why she's even here for the most part.

Oh wait, it's because I'm here.

Last year she had asked me out, and even before that she was following me around everywhere. Every love interest I had would stop talking to me because of her.

"Don't be like that, Shiz, this is all just a coincidence," Tomoe says before placing her hand on my shoulder and groping it. I flinched at the contact and smack her hand.

"Ooooh, what's that?" Before I can back away, she takes a step towards me and grabs my hand. Oh shit.

She grabs the hand with the ring on it.

"U-Uh, it's none of y-your business!" No, no, no, no, no. This is not good.

"I think it is. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Hell no."

"Awww, why are you being so mean?" The weirdo asks and pouts. It's not cute at all.

"Why are you being a stalker?"

The girl ignores my comment and proceeds to be annoying. "So, _Shizuru_, do you remember that my 20th birthday party is next weekend?"

"No."

"W-Well that doesn't matter! Because the last time I saw your father, I asked him if you could come. He said he'd be delighted that you could come and that he'll even _drive_ you there."

What the hell. Of course she asked him… my father is too nice of a man to say 'no'.

"Certainly you'll bring your… fiancé right?"…Wow. She can't tell the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring? And I don't think she ever will because she'll never receive either of those. Even so, it's better for her to think we're engaged rather than married. I can imagine her thinking of plots to kill my said fiancé right this minute. She pulls out her phone and begins pressing her thumbs on the touch screen.

"Ara, no way–"

"But I think you will, Shizuru. Take a look at my status on Facebook." She hands over her iPhone and I take a look at the screen. _'Shizuru's coming to my partay! And guess what, she's bringing her smexy fiancé with her! Kyaaa~! x3'_

Are you serious?

She just posted this crap like ten seconds ago and it already has twenty-five likes?

…People really need to get a life off the internet.

I'm about to delete the post until the demented girl snatches her phone and begins to skip away in the other direction. What a freak.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you at my party!" She turns her head in my direction and shouts. "And I'm looking even more forward to seeing _him_…"

When the girl is finally out of my vision, I feel my limbs weaken.

I know Natsuki said that she'd be prepared for any news, but I don't think she's quite prepared for this.

I take out my cellphone and call her number that was on the business card. It rings about four times before I hear her husky voice.

"Hello?" I don't think she recognizes who it is because I put my number under the name 'Kiyohime'.

"Hey, it's Shizuru."

"Oh, what'sup?"

I gulp.

"A-Ara… can you do me a favor..?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, I really enjoyed writing from Shizuru's POV! Maybe it's because we're both daddy's girls..?**

**And in the reviews (thanks to all that reviewed, btw) people are saying this story is like another one on fanfiction and/or is based off a movie. For starters, I have never read or even seen another story on fanfiction about ShizNat in Vegas. So if any of you thought I was trying to copy, I really wasn't, I had no clue. And I haven't seen that movie you're talking about either, so it's not related to either of those at all. And if my story is following the same plot line, **_**please**_** let me know, because I don't want to be accused of copying. I originally thought of this story when I thought of the famous saying, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". So, yeah…**

**Songs mentioned this chapter: "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO  
>"Monster" by Paramore<strong>

**I've decided to write the odd chapters in Natsuki's POV, and the even chapters in Shizuru's POV. Hopefully this helps those of you who are confused about whose POV the chapter is written in.**

**R&R pretty please? And maybe the next update will be soon.**

**Thanks for reading, and have a nice day ^_^**

– **Ocha-chan**


	3. Preparation

**DISCLAIMER: … Nope… I still don't own it… *sadface***

… **BAM! You're surprised to see another chapter, aren't you? Well, this is what I like to call Ocha's Double Update Weekend. Enjoy ^_^**

* * *

><p><span>Preparation<span>

Fifteen Minutes Ago:

"_A-Ara… can you do me a favor ..?"_

"_Of course, what is it?"_

"_Are you sitting down?"_

"_Ye– wait… you're not gonna tell me you're pregnant, are you?"_

"_W– of course not! Does that make any sense to you?"_

"_Well, it is Vegas and… never mind. Before I say anything else stupid."_

"_Okay, well… there's this psycho girl that has been stalking me…"_

"_Yeah..?"_

"_And she obviously stalked_ _me and met me at the airport. She saw the ring–"_

"_SHE WHAT–"_

"_Hold on, Na– Kuga-san. She thought it was an engagement ring."_

"_What a dumbass."_

"_I know…"_

"_So, is that all you had to tell me?"_

"_Ara… n-not exactly…"_

And at this point, the rest of the conversation goes downhill from there. Well, for me it does.

Ever since the call ended, I've been sitting here on the sink counter in the bathroom of Nao's suite. All of the band members met up here yesterday and slept over after all, and I came for those chicken wings. Which were fucking good, let me tell you. When I saw the name 'Kiyohime' pop up on my phone's screen, I took the call in front of the rest of the band members, but when I realized it was Shizuru, I headed to the bathroom, telling my friends I'd be out in a minute.

I lied.

It's been about twenty-five minutes in total, the phone call having lasted ten minutes. And I learned some things about Shizuru that scared the crap out of me. For starters, she's Fujino-sama's daughter, and he's running for the governor of Tokyo. Which makes her the daughter of Tokyo's governor, if he wins. And now I finally understand why Shizuru was so upset. The race for the position ends in four months – our divorce would be settled in four months. If I was an outsider looking into this predicament, I'd flat out say that Shizuru was fucked, because there's no way for her to keep this thing a secret from the rest of Tokyo, especially not for four months. If she doesn't and this scandal gets out, her father will probably lose the race.

Scratch that.

Her father _will _lose the race. Do you know how closely Japanese people follow their morals? It's ridiculous. I've never really been defined to such morals, since my parents died early on and I was sent from orphanage to orphanage because of my bad behavior, until Nao's mom – who I regard as my mom too – took me in when I was a teen. Her mom is sickly, but has a good heart nonetheless. Anyways, if people find out what Shizuru had done in Vegas, then the people of Tokyo will view him as a bad father, and then call him a bad leader since he can't even control his own daughter. Yep. I can imagine that.

Though what Shizuru told me on the phone was rather… brilliant, if I do say so myself. Well, it may not be that great – I'm definitely not the smartest person on the planet. At least I know a spider's not an insect… Nao.

"KUGA!" Speak of the devil…

"KUGA, either you're still talking on the phone, or you're fucking constipated from eating all that damn chicken with mayonnaise!"

When I open the door, she seems a bit startled that I'm coming out on the first call because I'm so stubborn, and usually when I lock myself in a room it takes her three or four times to get me to come out.

"K-Kuga, you okay?" Her hand comes to my forehead.

"Nao, I'm not sick."

"Are you sure? You know, you had a lot of drinks – you might have alcohol poisoning."

"Nao! Don't tell me any crap like that! Plus I'd probably be dead by now if that were the case…"

"Natsuki!" Here comes the motherly figure in the band…

"Yes, Mai…"

"You okay? You look like you got a call that you're Ducati was stolen."

I side glance at Mai. "Let's not go down memory lane…" Yes, I did get a call that my Ducati was stolen. Too bad it was from Nao who was doing a voice impersonation of Paris Hilton. And the fact that I was too slow to realize it was the first of April.

"Good times, good times," Nao says while nodding her head, Mai trying to hide her giggles with her hand over her mouth. I look around and notice that two of the band members are…

"Hey! We got the sodas!" Chie says as she bursts through the suite's front door, followed by a shorter girl with two long braids.

"Mai, I got you the Cola you wanted."

"Thanks, Mikoto," the redhead smiles at the girl, who beams her pearly whites back at her.

"Where were you guys?" I ask, since I never heard the room's door open.

"We were at the vending machine on the second floor, since they don't have one up here.

"Why didn't you just call room service?"

"Because apparently we owe them two thousand fucking dollars since last night, when almost everyone was asleep, _someone_ ordered five hundred sixty-seven bowls of ramen," Nao says angrily while glaring at Mikoto, who had shrunken behind Mai's back. "And who ever knew that they used imported noodles of the finest quality…" Nao grunts.

"S-Sorry! Mai said she wanted some ramen, so I ordered her some!"

"Did it ever occur to you that she isn't, and no one else for that matter, capable of eating **that **many bowls? So in order to keep room service on a budget, we're not going to be using it anymore."

"Uh, guys, you've forgotten the point here – my story."

"Oh, are you going to explain why you were in the bathroom so long?"

"Yes, Chie," I sigh. Sometimes I wonder how this band has managed to stay together with this amount of denseness circulating within it.

"Alright, let's hear it," Nao says while taking a Sprite from Chie.

"Well, I wasn't going to tell you guys anything about this at first, but now I can't find a way around it…" I start off. They already know about the basic details, that I'm married to this girl I don't know, but will Shizuru be okay with them knowing what she has told me? Will she be mad that I'm doing this..? It's too late for me to back out on the story now, I've already started.

"Guys, just _please _promise me you won't tell anyone. Chie," I shoot daggers at the black haired tomboy, who calls herself the Gossip Queen. I swear, if I find out she told anyone, she won't have the ability to gossip when I'm done beating the shit outta h–

"Okay, okay! I promise you, Natsuki. I won't say anything about it, but in return… you've gotta gimme those lingerie coupons. Aoi can use them."

"Deal," I say, and we shake hands on it.

"Kuga, get back with the story!"

"I am! Sheesh. Okay, so the girl I'm married to is Shizuru Fujino."

"Oh, that's that smoking hot daughter of the dude that's running for governor of Tokyo!"

"Y-Yeah, Chie, that's right." I'm kinda surprised Chie knew something related to politics, but then again, it also had something to do with an attractive female… typical Chie…

"So," I begin again, "the problem is that we can't get our divorce recognized until four months from now, and the election is four months from now too, so we've got to keep this thing from the rest of Japan for four months."

"How the hell are you going to do that, Kuga?"

"Well, that's what I'm here to sorta explain. This morning, Shizuru ran into… an acquaintance of hers, who saw the ring. And the idiot thought it was an engagement ring. And she thinks that I'm a '_he'_."

"Your point?" Nao interjects once again.

"This is the part I'm struggling with. Fujino-san's acquaintance is having a birthday party this upcoming weekend, and she already told everyone that Fujino-san was coming… and that she's bringing her 'smexy fiancé' with her. …So basically, I need to attend this party as a dude."

"Hell no."

"Nao?"

"I'm not letting you do it. Why can't she just back out of the party?"

"Apparently her father already agreed to take her."

"Yeah, to take _her_, not _you_."

"But Nao, even though I'm kinda puzzled on how I'm going to go and pass as a guy, I think it's a good idea! You know, instead of hiding and looking suspicious, we can simply pretend that we're actually together and be in the open about it! And we can have a massive 'breakup' at the end of the four months and get our divorce and go our separate ways. Doesn't that sound pretty legit to you?"

"No, it doesn't. You think you can just pretend for four months without things getting rocky? People are going to be asking questions, Kuga, questions that can potentially cause your little plan to break. You shouldn't do this."

"If anything, I owe her this, Nao. I'm the one that ordered the drinks for us both to begin with. Plus, she has more to lose than I do. Much more."

"Oh yeah, and you think you have nothing to lose either? What about your actual job? Or supporting this band _Natsuki_? We're your _friends._ Your _family_. Are we really so much less in value compared to this girl's father? She knew what she was getting herself into when she went over to the casino's bar, so don't even blame this shit on yourself, Natsuki." I can really tell when Nao's getting emotional – it's when she stops calling me Kuga.

"Nao…"

"Nao," Chie steps in. "I agree with you… but I don't think Natsuki's intentions are all that bad either. I think this thing can actually work, if she plays her cards right."

"Yeah, I don't think it's that bad either…" Mai starts, and ends her sentence in a whisper when Nao's angry glare falls upon her.

"You guys too? You're going to fall into this Fujino chick's plan blindly, just because she said it would work? Natsuki," Nao turns to look at me, the look in her lime-green eyes so anxious. So desperate.

I hate when Nao gets like this.

"She's just using you. She doesn't really need you at this party! She just wants you there so she can fixate the problem atop of your shoulders and make you carry the weight. Don't you see what I'm saying?"

"N-Nao… Shizuru… she's not like that… I-I don't think…," I mumble, with my head downwards.

Nao looks incredulously at me, as if I just grew a second head. "For the love of God, really? You're going to listen to this chick you've known for _days_, over me, who's known you for _years_? Fine, do whatever the fuck you want." Nao briskly walks past the rest of us, opens the door that leads to the bedroom of the suite, and slams it shut.

I'm pretty sure some of the hinges loosened. Or cracked.

"Well… that went great," Chie says sarcastically. I look to Mikoto, who is still clinging onto the back of Mai's shirt. Mikoto just joined the band last year after its previous drummer quit and Mai told us she knew someone to fill the spot. I can understand why Nao seems a little intimidating to her.

"There's no need to be frightened, Mikoto… I've seen Nao get like this before. Like she said, I've known her for such a long time. This is just her way of expressing her emotions… to show how much she cares for me…" But when Nao gets like this, I feel like a little girl again. Like a girl that got caught in the process of stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.

"Hey, cheer up, dude," Chie says while coming to my side and patting my back. Are my emotions really that obvious? "I totally get what the redhead's saying, but I think this Fujino chick has a good idea." Mai nods at what Chie just said.

"Yeah, I agree with that too, but how the heck am I gonna pass as a dude?"

"Well, you've already got that tomboy clothing working out for yah…" Chie gives me her famous look over. "It's just your hair and… I guess we can 'guy-up' you're outfit a little bit more. You know, to hide some of those sexy curves you've got."

"Chie…"

"Yeah, yeah. 'You shouldn't hit on me because you've already got Aoi'. I'm not hitting on you, I'm just being honest."

Mai leaves Mikoto where they were previously standing, and begins to circle around me.

"Not only will you have to fix her hair up, but get her a brace for her boobs. I mean, no offense Natsuki, they're not that big, but they're noticeable."

"None taken, boob monster." Mai shoots me a glare, making me smirk in response. You don't know how many concerts I've been to where guys are trying to reach for Mai's boobs when she goes to the edge of the stage while shredding on her guitar.

Perverts.

"You're just jealous!"

"No, I'm really not. I'd rather not be on the verge of tipping over when I stand up, thank you very much."

"Hey, that never happens!"

"You've probably gotten used to the weight."

"S-Shut up!"

"Hey, guys, can we um, you know, stop talking about breasts and start talking about things for this plan to work?"

"Yeah, sorry," Mai says.

"Okay, so we've established that we need a brace, wig, manly clothes, anything else?"

"Not that I can think of…"

"Alright then…" Chie pulls out her car keys and rattles them. "Let's get going."

* * *

><p>Within fifteen minutes, I find myself in the fitting room of some men's clothing store, which is really awkward because, did I mention this is a MEN'S clothing store?<p>

It's just Chie, Mai and I here, since we managed to get Mikoto to stay at the hotel and keep an eye on Nao. Though she was very reluctant about it, we finally managed to convince her after Mai promised to take her to dinner.

"Natsuki! You almost finished in there?" I can hear Chie call from the sitting area outside of the fitting rooms.

"N-Not really…" I feel so awkward, especially when I hear men slapping each other's asses and saying things like _'Damn bro, you look good!'_ _and 'Shit, man, you need some bigger boxers. That's gross looking.'_

Yeah, it's gross sounding too.

Plus the scent in this small changing room is so disgusting. It's nothing like the sweet smelling scents of the fitting rooms in lingerie stores, where perfume has managed to be sprayed in every square inch of the store.

"Well, hurry it up!"

"Okay, okay," I mumble in response. I slip into the black dress pants of the suit Chie picked out for me. It fits pretty well at the waist, and doesn't feel tight on my ass like women's slacks. I put on a black dress shirt that I picked out over my black wife beater (which I'm wearing the boob brace under), chosen courtesy of Chie. Next comes a solid, emerald tie, which Chie said she picked in order to bring out my eyes. It works, I guess, but I'm not one for staring at myself in the mirror. I pull the suspenders from my pants over my dress shirt, and finish up the outfit by putting on a black vest and the jacket, and slipping on black alligator shoes.

Damn who's gonna be paying for this…?

"Okay, I'm ready…," I call, before opening the fitting room's door.

I step out of the room, hearing the heel of my shoes click on the tile floor. "Well, how do I look?"

I'm guessing great, since their mouths seem to be on the floor.

"Geezus, Natsuki… I knew you were an attractive chick, but… if you were really a guy, maybe I'd be straight."

"Y-Yeah…," Mai looks at me like she's gone dead in the brain.

"Hey, breathe," I say while waving my hand in front of the redhead's face. It takes a couple of seconds before she snaps back into reality, backs up from me, and takes in my full image.

"You look so _handsome_. Like, it's ridiculous. If it weren't for your hair, I'd think you were a smoking hot guy."

"See! What did I say!" Chie says before walking towards me and straightening the glossy white handkerchief in the jacket's pocket. "Sorry, that was bothering me. It was kinda messing up that perfect image, but you've got it now."

"Okay, is this it?"

"Not exactly, here – I found this while you were changing."

I looked at Chie's outstretched hand only to find within her grasp a black Louis Vuitton Damier belt.

"Whoa, Chie, that's fucking expensive! And I thought the alligator skin shoes were enough… who's paying for all of this?"

"I am," Chie looked at me as if the answer was obvious.

"No, I can't let you pay for all of this!"

"Don't sweat it, Natsuki. Did you forget that our band just did a show at the MGM Grand? I got my share of the cut last night, so I've got plenty of dough to cover you," the girl finishes with a sheepish smile.

"I guess…"

I'm paying her back later. Definitely.

I change back into my regular clothes, and when I exit the room, I see Mai pout as if she prefers the boyish me over regular me. Hey, I can understand. She's dating Tate, and that guy can be a jerk. He's not that cute in my opinion – I'm not even sure why she's with him.

We put the outfit on the counter in front of the cashier, and Chie throws a pack of boxer briefs on the counter too, telling me that if someone at the party tries to pants me, I need to be prepared.

The total ends up being slightly under two grand, and Chie swipes her card like it's no big deal. Before we make it back to Chie's car in the parking lot, two Asian-American girls spot us and both ask Chie for her autograph.

"Onee-sama, you're so cool! Can we get a picture with you?"

Chie flashes her signature grin, before saying, "Sure thing, sweetheart."

Both of the girls squeal, and one of them tosses me her camera before running to Chie and pushing her body against her side.

I roll my eyes and look over at Mai, who pretends to be gagging. I smirk and turn my head back to Chie, who's obviously enjoying the attention. "Okay, say 'Insects!' on three! One, two, three!"

'_Snap!'_

"Oops, I blinked! Can we take another?" I really want to say no, but these aren't my fans, and I'm the photographer of the group, so I kind of feel obligated to take one more shot.

"Sure… just try to stay focused on keeping your eyes open, okay? Ready… one, two,… three!"

'_Snap!'_

"Oh wait, my hair blew in my eye! Take another."

I look to Chie, who I can tell is internally pleading with me to be generous and take another photo. If it wasn't for her buying all that stuff for me today, I would've said 'no'.

"Remember what I said last time about your eyes, and pull your hair back before the photo. Okay,… one, two, three."

'_Snap!'_

"… Oh, I think there was something in my teeth, let's do this one more time."

…Motherfucker.

I think Chie can sense that I'm pissed off that these girls are wasting my time, so she quickly says something before I get to. "U-Uhh, girls, that was enough photos for today. Here, I'll give you something." I can see Chie reaching in her pants pocket, hoping that she actually has something to give away. And she does.

"Onee-sama… what is this?"

"That's a tissue I blew my nose into. You can, uh, use that if you want. Have a nice day!" Chie says the last part quickly, running past the girls. I toss the camera to one of the girls before running away myself, laughing all the while at their 'what-the-fuck' expressions.

"They weren't that cute anyways," Chie says once the three of us are seated in her car.

Chie drives until she reaches another strip of stores and instructs Mai and me to wait in the car while she goes in and gets something. After about thirty minutes of waiting and harassing Mai about her bra size, Chie returns to the car.

"What did you get?"

"Oh you know already. The wig."

My eyebrows quirk upward since I'm very interested to see how this wig thing works out. I doubt they have my hair color.

"Let me see." Chie passes the bag back to me and she and Mai sit and watch me inspect its contents. I pull first from the bag a hair cap, and then next, to my surprise, is a midnight blue wig, matching my hair color perfectly.

"C-Chie… how did you…"

"Actually, it was your busty friend over there that did the work. I just picked it up."

"Really, Mai? But how?"

"Well, if you didn't know, my family lived in America before we moved to Japan, and my dad's side of the family were all hair dressers. Over the years their company came to Vegas since a lot of profit could be made out here. All I did was call them up before we left the hotel this morning to describe the hair color and style for them to make the wig. They're pretty good, aren't they?" Mai smiles warmheartedly expertly showing why she is the mother of the group, since she always looks out for each of the members.

"Yeah, they're really fucking good." I wrap up my hair inside the hair cap, and put on the wig. I attach the two clips in the back and straighten it out on my head.

"Damn, Natsuki! You're gonna look killer at that party!"

Mai puts down the mirror hanging over the dashboard of the car and allows me to look at myself. I do admit that I look rather hot. The style's kinda like Zac Efron before he got his hair cut short. Which I think looks sexy.

And no, I don't have a High School Musical fetish.

Chie drives back to the MGM Grand, and she and Mai head back to Nao's room. I go to my own room to drop off my new clothes and wig before heading to Nao's room. When I get there, everyone's gone. I'm guessing that Mai and Mikoto went out for dinner, and Chie may have just gone back to her own room (or another girl's room). I straighten up the room a little bit since it looks a mess after all five of us slept here last night.

I find my feet taking me to the suite's bedroom area. I feel bad about the argument between Nao and I, and I know I need to make up with her. She's like my sister, and I hate it when she isolates herself from me.

Upon first opening the door, I see Nao lying in her bed atop the sheets, her face in the pillow. I tip-toe over to the bed, and since I don't hear her light snoring, I know she's awake. I slide next to her on the bed and wrap my arms around her waist, gently resting my chin on her shoulder.

"Nao," I whisper into her ear.

"Go away…," she murmurs and turns out of my grasp. I put my arms around her again and lock my feet around her leg.

"Natsuki, I said–"

"I'm sorry," I immediately whisper into her ear, stopping her from retreating my grasp. "I didn't mean to make you think I don't care about you. I love you, you know that." I probably sound like a sap, but I don't care. I don't want Nao to be mad at me.

The room is silent until the redhead finally responds. She turns her body in the direction of my own, her stunning eyes locking onto mine. "I know that, dummy." She takes her hand and ruffles it through my hair like I'm a pet. "I just… I want you to be safe out here. I dunno whether or not I can trust this Fujino girl, and if you come back to me in tears, I'm going to have to kick someone's ass."

I laugh, and lift my hand to Nao's forehead, playfully flicking it. "Baka,… I'm not the type to cry."

She smiles at me. "I know that, but I also remember how often your trust has been betrayed in the past, and I told you when you moved in with me and Ma that I wouldn't let it happen again. Never again."

The look on Nao's face is so serious – so stern that I know she means what she says. And she knows it too. "… thank you." I'm unsure how else to respond, but I know we've made up when Nao reaches out for me and envelopes me into a hug. Her lips are next to my ear when she says "I'll support you going to the party – on one condition."

"What is it..?"

"I'm going too."

"What? But you can't be seen with me–"

Nao hits the back of my head with her hand. "Idiot, how dumb do you think I am? Of course I'm not going to walk arm-in-arm with you through the front doors. Just ask your… wife if she can get me in there."

My mind lingers over the word 'wife' and the way Nao said it. Is she really okay with this..? …Of course she's not, but it's something I want to do, so she's going to support me. Same old Nao.

"Where are you going?" Nao asks when I pull away from her arms, immediately feeling the absence of warmth radiating from her body.

"Don't worry; I'm going to call Fujino-san like you just asked me to."

"Aww, right now?"

"Yes, don't whine." I chuckle when I see Nao childishly thump her pillow against the bed sheets.

I call the number listed under 'Kiyohime', and the girl answers almost instantly. I look out the window and see its night time, so I guess it isn't that odd that she answered so quickly, since she did say she would be available.

"Ara, hello?"

"Hey, it's Natsuki."

"Hey… do you have an answer to what I asked you about this morning?"

If I was in front of Shizuru right now, I could picture her anxiously biting her bottom lip.

"I do, actually."

"And…?"

I stay silent for a couple more seconds than necessary just to irk the other girl.

"Ara… Kuga-san, you're killing me! Can you just tell me?"

I laugh wholeheartedly before continuing on. "Okay, okay! I can make it there this weekend. But there's a catch."

"Y-Yes..?"

"One of my close friends is coming too."

"Is that it? Of course I can get her to come too. Tomoe's kinda of obsessed with me, so I'm pretty sure she'll listen to me if I ask her to allow another guest."

I smile and look back at Nao who's sitting up on the bed, and give her a thumbs-up. "Great. I'll see you there at..?"

"It starts at nine-thirty. I'll text you the rest of the details later, okay?"

"Alright, thanks. Goodnight."

"Ara, sweet dreams."

I close my phone and go to Nao's side of the bed, taking off my ring and putting it on the dresser next to the bed. I retreat to the other side of the bed, about to get on it myself until Nao pulls me in.

"N-Nao..!"

"You were taking too long." She lifts the covers and we both get under them. We lay flat on our stomachs and talk about random things until we fall asleep.

And somewhere in my dreams, I see balloons, dresses, dancing, and cake. Deep in my mind, I can feel my body within that atmosphere, and I know that with Nao and the rest of the band's approval, the only thing separating me and the upcoming weekend is time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And so the meeting is set in stone! Next chapter: The Party.**

**I would have made the events in this chapter short and put the party in here too, but I felt like it'd be better to write the party in Shizuru's point of view… you'll see why… hehe.**

**And here's a link to the hairstyle of the wig I was talking about: hollywood/zac-efron-in-marvel-comics-new-movie-fir e/**

**Just remove the.'s and replace them with '.' I really think you should look at the picture to get an idea of what I'm talking about, unless you're obsessed with Zac Efron and already know what the style looks like. And if you couldn't tell from the descriptions in the chapter, Natsuki's male look is fucking sexy, if I do say so myself. Maybe I can get someone I know to do some fanart, and then you'll see. If you don't already, that is.**

**Okay, I hope you guys enjoyed this 'Double-Update Weekend'! **

**Please R&R. It makes me feel lovely to see how you thought the chapter went.**

– **Ocha-chan**

**P.S: I think I should clear this up now... Shizuru couldn't come out and tell Tomoe that Natsuki was a girl because 1) Tomoe had already started skipping away at that point 2) If she told Tomoe that, Tomoe would probably tell everyone else. Which would definitely not be good since same-sex relatioships, especially between women, are not socially accepted in Japan. And I have done research on that, so I know what I'm talking about.**

**And don't worry... Natsuki won't be cross-dressing the entire time, lol. There were be plenty of moments to come between Shizuru and herself alone, so there will be no need for cross-dressing then.**

**...And I guess I'm clearing up something else too, since a reviewer asked me. There is nothing going on between Nao and Natsuki. They have been living together for a while, and everything between them is sisterly love. TOTALLY platonic. Nao just cares for Natsuki's well being since she didn't have the best childhood. So, I hope that cleared things up if other people were wondering about it too.**

**Anyways, have a nice day!**


	4. The Prelude

**DISCLAIMER: Sadly, even after all this time, I don't own MaiHiME... Sunrise does :'(**

**...enjoy the long awaited chapter.**

* * *

><p><span>The Prelude<span>

"Ara, sweet dreams," I smile into the phone, and allow my head to fall back on the rim of the bathtub. The hot water crawls its way to the bottom of my earlobe, tickling my skin all the while. My cellphone is still grasped by the hand lingering outside of the bathtub until I voluntarily release it, hearing it clasp to the floor. It has a cover on it, so it's fine.

My smile soon fades from my face since nervousness overtakes my emotions once again. Sure, I'm happy that Natsuki will go through with my uncertain plan, though can she really pull it off? She may have the tomboy look down, but honestly, I think she's… _too_ pretty to look like a guy. Oh well, I guess I'll see when the time comes. But I'm hoping if Natsuki doesn't look like a guy at all, she'll be smart and call off the plan rather than show up and make a fool of ourselves. I'd rather her not show up than come to the party practically yelling 'I'm the chick who got down with Shizuru in a Vegas suite'.

But I wonder how she'll look. Will she have a ponytail like a little bishounen samurai?

I haven't taken a bath in a long time. And no, I'm not dirty; it's just that I'm usually in a hurry, so I always find myself taking showers. Though soaking my body is a nice change of pace from the cool beads of water racing down my skin; it's as if my stress levels are sinking along with my body in the tub, but I know better. I probably haven't even begun to feel the amount of stress destined to befall me, but I'm not exactly in a hurry to get there – especially not after the talk with my dad.

As soon as I managed to reach my flat right outside of the college dorms (since I'd rather have my own place), I had received a call from my dad. I was happy at first, since we almost rarely get the time to talk now that his campaigning has become more vigorous, though my perky expression dropped just as fast as it appeared.

"_Shiz-chan, my colleagues have brought to my attention that you are… engaged." At my father's words, my head dipped even lower than my expression. "Is that true?"_

"_Yes, it is," well, not exactly…_

"_Very well, then. We shall have a more in-depth conversation later when I can actually rest my eyes upon your face," which translates to: so I can tell whether or not you're lying._

"_Okay." My thumb edged the side of my phone, nearing the 'end call' button, though my dad's Kyoto-accented voice reached my ears before my finger could cease the call._

"_Shizuru, I miss you."_

_I stood almost petrified for a moment. It just dawned on me that this whole time I wasn't even thinking about spending time with my dad, but rather hiding things from him and covering things up with Natsuki. I can't register how many times my name must have rummaged through his brain, but it's probably as much as the amount of tea I drink._

"_I miss you too…," I trailed, because, though I'm sure there's some truthfulness within my response, I wonder how true it actually is. Certainly not as truthful as my dad's, but I can't chance him spotting my voice faltering. He'll know something's up, since I've never had anything to cover up. Before now, that is. I mean, it's not like I don't miss him, but I don't think a person would be anxious to see someone they'd be bold-face lying to, which would be the scenario in my case._

"_Talk to you later, honey."_

Just thinking about today's earlier conversation with my dad is nerve-racking. All I know is that I better pull it together while he's driving me to Tomoe's party. After all, what are my masks for, right?

To be honest, these masks I often wear are my dad's fault. No, he did not force me to build such walls around myself, but rather, I made the decision on my own when I saw him go through hardships with my mother. That was the only time I ever saw him cry. _Ever_. I thought I was so brilliant to protect myself with this method and prevent my body from ever breaking down like his did for that period of time, but I never thought I'd be so dependent on such a method that I'd end up using it all the time. Some days I don't even feel real. It's like my soul's operating a plastic body.

Bubbles resting atop the water float across the tub and settle along my jawbone. I guess I look like Santa Claus. I raise my upper body from the water, killing the soap suds as they are overtaken by the waves of bath water created from my sudden movement.

I retreat from the bathtub earlier than I thought I would. I really don't like the wrinkly-look soaking in water creates on my skin, even though it was damn comfortable. After unplugging the tub, I retrieve my robe from the sink counter top after wiping down my body, and tightly wrap it, especially around my waist. I've already been in the situation where I did not wrap it tight enough. That day as I walked past some windows of my flat, part of my robe caught onto the handle of a kitchen counter.

Let's just say some peeping fan-girls had their night made.

I walk over to the kitchen and prepare myself a steaming cup of Green Tea and allow my mug's contents to heat the core of my body just as the bath managed to ease my exterior. I sit in silence on my leather couch, the moonlight bathing my flat. No, I'm not usually this boring, since I am often out of my home, though I'm not exactly in the mood to be having a girl's night out with Yohko and Midori. There'll be enough time for that Saturday night.

After a short while I gaze into my cup, and a frown adores my usually smiling face when I notice my beverage is gone.

Seventh cup today. Not good.

I'm about to rinse the cup out in my sink until I hear a familiar tone coming from the bathroom. I place the cup in the sink, carefully work my way around the kitchen counters, and pick up my phone once I reach the bathroom. A small smirk rests on my lips after I examine the text message I received from Midori.

'_**Got ur dress 4 Saturday? Well, we just got our booze'**_

Right above the text is a picture of Midori grinning like a Cheshire cat while holding up a rather large bottle of Tequila, acting as if it's a trophy. Yohko is in the background of the picture with her face buried ashamedly in her palms.

I laugh, since I can only imagine what adventures (a.k.a: Hell) Yohko has been through tonight because of Midori. When she first met Midori and I, she had been tricked into drinking with the crazy redhead. Now she willingly partakes in the drinking since she knows she'll be dragged in eventually. Midori didn't attempt to drag me into her little games before, though now that she has another partner-in-crime, she often attempts at shooting a dare my way.

I thought I was doing well at not picking up their habits.

But _obviously_ I'm not.

'_**Ara, I have my dress, but I don't have any booze – don't bring any for me.'**_

That's the last thing Natsuki and I need.

'_**Besides,' **_I add to the text, _**'your games have rubbed off on me enough.'**_

Almost instantly I receive a reply that reads: _**'Oh really? Mission accomplished! ;) '**_

I sigh and laugh at the same time. I really wonder what my life would be like if I didn't go to college for architecture and just took up the Fujino business like my dad wanted. I know for sure Midori and I wouldn't have met. Neither would Yohko and I, since I met her through Midori. And I'd probably be married to that muscly jerk Reito, and I'd rather have Natsuki over him any day. I guess my life would be much like a script and nothing at all like it is now.

As I lay in bed, I'm still wondering. Which life would be more stressful? The one I chose to create, or the one created for me?

I finally let my eyes lose their battle against the sandman because the answer to such a question is something that I'll never know.

* * *

><p>Saturday comes too fast for me.<p>

Once I realize I overslept, since my so called afternoon-nap lasted much longer than an hour or two, I jump from my bed and rush to my closet, grabbing the red party dress I bought but never wore. I place the dress and my black-laced lingerie atop my bed sheets before racing into the shower (and almost falling on my naked butt in the process), drying myself, quickly curling my hair, and perfecting my make-up.

As I'm sliding into my sleek black heels, my phones sounds, indicating that there's an incoming call. My dad's Kyoto-accent slithers through the phone speakers, telling me that he's waiting outside.

I sweep my hands over my dress, eyeing my look in the long mirror resting against my bedroom wall. Once I decide that my appearance is on the 'Tomoe-fainting' level, I grab my handbag, securing my phone inside it along with lip gloss and other necessities, and depart the spacious flat.

Parked on the curb is a black BMW Z4 with tinted windows – my dad's car. I strut to the passenger's side, open the door, and duck into the sporty leather seat. The few paparazzi taking pictures on the street don't go unnoticed, but hey – I've learned to live with it. Well, at least to try to.

"Hello, Shiz-chan, you look stunning," my dad smiles at me while pulling away from the curb, little creases forming at the corners of his worn out eyes.

"Ookini," I respond on cue. I'm not going to get my dad suspicious and let any factual information slip from my tongue during this ride. He has too much to worry about – he doesn't need anymore.

... _I_ have too much to worry about. I don't need anymore.

For a while we both sit in silence, and I allow the glow of the city to captivate my senses rather than brood on the awkwardness circulating throughout the vehicle. I would rely on listening to the music on the radio to make the situation less odd, but my dad is listening to the political news on the satellite radio. I can't remember when he started doing that, but I really miss the days where we would drive around the country side of Kyoto singing silly folk songs together. But at that time my mom was with us, and the three of us together formed what was supposed to be a happy family. And it was like that until my mom successfully shattered that lifestyle with her own selfish deeds.

The red gleam of a stoplight reflects on my eyes, and only when my dad reaches out for my exposed shoulder do I realize that he's been calling me.

"Shiz-chan. Shiz-chan? _Shizuru?_"

"Kannin na."

"Are you okay?" A solemn look spreads across my dad's facial features as his carnelian orbs capture my own.

_Was I ever okay? _

"Yes," I attempt to confidently respond, though I feel my resolve crumbling as his gaze peers through my eyes.

"Good... Well, I did want to continue our conversation about your… _fiancé_, though, despite what you say, you don't look quite up to it."

"No, I'm really fin–"

"Shiz-chan, enough," he says, effectively silencing my protest. "I know my daughter well enough to tell when she's stressed… and I feel like some of that stress is my fault for having paparazzi intruding on everything involved with me, especially you. Kannin na. Anyway," my dad continues, "just enjoy tonight with him, and I guess the three of us can talk things over dinner sometime soon."

Ara, o-over dinner?

I feel the car move again when the sheen of light over the windshield is green.

"You're a good daughter, and an exceptional woman at that, so I'm sure that you'll talk to me when you feel up to it – no pressure."

At my father's words, my body slowly sinks in the seat, mimicking the action of my heart. My dad is very good at manipulating, even when he isn't trying. Does he want me to sulk in guilt? I'm sure he doesn't since he doesn't even know what I'm keeping from him, though he really makes me wonder at times. Like now, for example. _No pressure_ my ass!

I feel horrible – not only did he call me a good daughter, but an _exceptional woman_ too. Maybe I am an exceptional woman, if exceptional women have one night stands and get married to random people just because they can. Oh, and that they jeopardize the dreams and goals of others for their own selfish purposes. And maybe my selfish purpose was caused by seeking a release. It's hard to fill that perfect image people have of you, but maybe I should have just focused on doing more to uphold that reputation rather than seek a break. Look what it's gotten me into.

"So just make sure you tell him I want to sit and chat with him over dinner. 'Kay?"

"Alright."

I assume his questioning is over, but I'm proven wrong when I hear my dad's voice a couple of minutes later. "Can I just ask you one more thing?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Why this guy and not Reito?"

Prior to even thinking of an answer, I stare at my dad, bewildered at why he'd ask such a question. "Because I didn't love him, and I don't think I ever will."

Before my dad had imagined running for governor in the upcoming election, he had been focused on managing the Fujino Corporation. I had already told him that I wasn't interested in supporting the company and that I'd rather pursue my own studies. It took a long time for him to stop constantly pestering me about it, and after a while, since my decision was already engraved in stone, he gave up. He and I settled on going through with an arranged marriage between me and Reito, the heir of another major company in Japan, since that would ultimately join our family's companies together and Reito could manage the Fujino Corporation while his mother managed their own (which wouldn't be a problem, since his mother is fairly young compared to his father).

At first, I had no problem with this since it would mean wiping my hands clean of the responsibility. It wasn't like I was simply acting as a rebellious teenager against my father's wishes, it's just that I'd rather not have my life directed like a damn movie. I'd rather be independent, you know? Travel, do something crazy.

And at the time, getting married in Vegas was not on my mind as something 'crazy', but I guess you get what you get.

Anyhow, things were fine between Reito and I in the beginning. My fan-girls even called us the 'perfect couple', and I thought so too until I realized I wasn't attracted to him as much as a girl should be. He had those intense muscles and that killer smile, but as we spent more and more time together, those features were just becoming a nuisance. His shiny black hair that was supposed to be attractive when he ran his fingers through it put a sour taste in my mouth, and I began to make the dumbest excuses to spend less time with him. For example, saying that I needed to stay after school for tutoring because I was failing math, which was ridiculous because _I was_ the math tutor. How he didn't put those facts together… is still a mystery.

The last strike that severed our already artificial relationship was when Reito said he wasn't just with me for my looks, but my dad's money.

What an _asshole_.

If only my dad could acknowledge what a deceitful guy Reito was. I'm sure he could see it, though I can understand why he didn't act on it – Reito was his last resort on finding someone to run our company when he could no longer do so.

I observed my dad's reaction to my answer, and all he did was simply gaze down the road while scratching the gray and chestnut-colored whiskers on his chin.

"So your reason is love?" I nodded in response.

I leaned a bit forward in my seat, trying to gaze into his meticulous eyes, though they never completely meet my scarlet orbs. The only thing I could analyze was his expression quickly turning somber.

"Love…," my father trails. "You know, it's hard to find what that is. So I'm glad you're carefully looking for it."

The rest of the ride remained silent, and I don't think my dad had much more to say other than "Enjoy the party, and be safe, Shiz-chan. Tell your friend Tomoe I said happy birthday too," when he dropped me off.

If only he knew this girl was _far_ from being what I consider one of my friends.

When I finally make my way past the paparazzi at the entrance of the venue – and yes, a freaking venue (who knew the Marguerites could rent out a place like this?) – I notice that my heartbeat matches the pace of the pulsing music as I venture deeper into the crowd. I scan the area hoping my sight is captured by emeralds, or perhaps to spot midnight-blue hair, though both of those tasks are nearly impossible with the crowd surrounding me. People are dancing – bathing in the multicolored lights hovering over everyone. I notice that when they bump into me and turn to say 'watch where you're fucking going,' they stop midsentence and apologize, then congratulate me on my engagement. That gets me wondering what the hell Tomoe has told them. Then again, some of them are just fan-girling, but I don't mind; since high school, I've become much more accustomed to people's attention.

It's too bad I'm not nearly as good as hiding from them, like I should be doing.

I continue scanning the area and checking my phone for any sign of Natsuki when my arm is grabbed, forcefully tugging my body backwards. I'm about to exhibit exactly why I'm a third degree black belt until I realize my assaulter is none other than one of my clumsy, soon-to-be-drunken friends.

"Shizuru! Damn, you looked like fish bait in the midst of piranhas out there."

"Yeah, well these kinds of events aren't exactly my forte," I retort while examining my friend's outfit, which is managing to expose every body part possible while still being classified as a dress rather than a bikini. "Midori, this is a birthday party, not a trip to the club."

"You say that, but what does this atmosphere remind you of?"

I turn to look at the wild crowd, whose movements appear like they're in sync with the quick beats of the music. When I examine everyone closer I can see the swishing of liquids from cups and the sloppy dancing of a few people who appear like they arrived before nine-thirty and took several trips to the bar within the venue since then.

She's got a point.

"Told you so," Midori smirks. I guess she can read the look on my face and tell that I agree with her. "So where's the guy that won you over?" I'd like to know that as well.

"I-I don't know."

"Whattaya mean you don't know? Did you call him?"

"No, I–"

"Well get to it!" I lap my eyes at Midori. Who does she think she's bossing around?

"I'm on it, I'm on it! Sheesh." I head out to the entrance once again, since I don't think there'd be any use attempting to make a phone call in there. Plus, most of the paparazzi have shifted from the front of the venue to some other hiding place.

About ten minutes later I'm on my fifth call to Natsuki when the line is sent to voicemail yet again. I sigh dramatically and sit on one of the benches near the door, the one to the right of it, to be specific.

The cool October winds nip at my skin, as if taunting me to see how long I can stand the chilly night before fleeing back inside. I'm about to give in until I see Yohko peer out the door.

"Sh-Shizuru! What in the hell are you doing out here in that dress when it's freezing cold?"

"Yohko!" I exclaim, having not seen the girl since I arrived. "I'm... making a phone call, but nevermind that. Where were you?"

"Oh, I was talking to Tomoe, actually. She was asking where you were and stuff."

"And? What did you tell her?"

"That I didn't know. So I told her I'd look for you. And I found ya," Yohko winks.

"Well please don't tell her where I am. If she goes to you, tell her I'm late or something. You're smart. Well – when you're not trashed, you're smart."

"Why, thanks…," Yohko grunts.

"Speaking of trashed, where's Midori?"

"At the bar."

Of course that's where she is.

"Must she always…?"

"Her excuse was she forgot the booze she bought. But–"

"–She probably drank it already."  
>"–She probably drank it already." We say together, laughing at how our minds came to the conclusion at the same time.<p>

"Ara, that's horrible. It was a big bottle too!"

"Yeah, I know," Yohko sighs. "I'll go keep an eye on her and try not to get trapped into a drinking contest too early in the night. But you come in soon, okay? There's no need for you to spoil the birthday girl's mood, since she only wants you in the first place."

I slightly shudder at Yohko's words though I make it appear as if it's due to the cold gusts of wind, and sit up on the bench and rub my arms.

"Okay. I don't think I'll be out here for much longer anyway," I faintly smile and watch as Yohko's figure disappears behind the large door.

I keep my head ducked low while sitting on the bench, gazing at my phone resting in my lap. After five minutes of waiting, I hear footsteps approaching and look towards the incomer.

When I look up, disappointment settles in my stomach, since it's not Natsuki. A familiar looking girl with fiery red hair and a short, formfitting black dress walks past me, though I can feel her gaze on my back when she reaches the door behind me. I hear the door close as quickly as it opened, leaving me alone outside once again.

For another five minutes I sit and try calling again, though my body finally gives in to the cool October night, forcing me to retreat into the building.

While making my way around the outskirts of the dance floor to the seating area, I find Yohko sitting at a table with Midori, bearing her hands atop the other girl's shoulders.

I scuttle over, sit across from them, and internally question why they look like they're about to burst from their seats. Well, Midori looks that way, and Yohko is trying to restrain her, but you can tell she obviously wants to flee from the table too.

"Yohko, Midori, what's going on?"

"Look!" Yohko extends her index finger, her arm going in front of Midori's chest in order to show the direction their attention is being drawn to. My scarlet orbs sweep over in that direction as well, but all I see are people hanging around the punch bowl – though something does seem odd. They aren't even getting punch, and instead are hovering around that red-headed girl I saw outside.

"What about her-"

Before I could question the situation surrounding the attention-drawing woman, a loud revving noise blasts near the entrance of the venue. Automatically, the crowd's interest shifts towards the door, and, after stealing one more glance at my clueless best friends, I find myself lifting from my seat, my feet carrying my body closer towards the scene.

After awhile, the first thing to make its way through the large black mahogany doors of the venue is a dress shoe.

A male's dress shoe.

"A-Ara… Natsuki…?" I whisper to myself. I watch as the person's body intrudes the room further. I see their slim leg… grow into a not so slim leg, and then… a beer gut? When they're completely in the room, I notice their arms are chunky as well, and wrapping around their jaw from ear to ear is a large beard.

_Geez, Natsuki, when I said to dress as a man, I wasn't expecting you to go ALL out…_

I wonder if she thought that look was 'my kind of guy'? Well, if she did, she thought wrong.

_Way _fucking wrong.

I'm on the verge of face-palming until a teal-headed girl appears from nowhere in the midst of the crowd gathered on the dance floor. The top of her oddly colored head bobs from place to place until her entire body is finally visible, and she sprints towards the newly arrived guest.

"Daddy!" She shouts while embracing…

Her… dad?

But _where's Natsuki?_

My heart dims slightly as disappointment swells my pores. Ever since arriving I've been looking forward to seeing her; to be with someone I am sharing this secret with – to act freely around them.

"Daddy, I'm so glad you could make it! I thought you wouldn't be able to come?"

"Of course I came, sweetheart," Marguerite-san says, his voice surprisingly not muffled by his excessive facial hair. "I would not miss your birthday for the world. Besides, I've been to nineteen of them in a row, why would I stop coming now?"

My minds tip-toes around the thought of why Tomoe is still having these kinds of birthday bashes at her age, though slender fingers crawling on the surface of my shoulder send chills down my spine, immediately attracting my attention.

"Midori," I sternly say while beginning to turn my head over my shoulder. "No, I'm not going to dr–"

Numbness.

That is all I felt when I gazed upon the owner of those slender fingers, which I could see moving from my body and resting at their owner's side. My eyes were once again tracing her figure. They retract their gaze, scoping the rest of her body from top to bottom, taking in her sleek, black dress shoes before climbing all the way to her face.

"K-Ku... Kuga?"

"Did ya miss me?"

* * *

><p><strong>…<strong> **Umm… please don't hate me…?**

**Guys, I am SO sorry for such a late update! After all of the trouble I had with writing this chapter… I thought I would never finish! I'm sure not all of you saw my updates on my account page, but let's just say this version of the chapter is probably… the 7****th**** one? After writers block, multiple computer fails, and tons of projects and exams, I present you with this chapter!**

**Sorry if some of you didn't like it, but for some reason this was difficult for me to write. And I know last chapter I was all excited about writing this, but when I started, I didn't like how it was going, and… yeah, I'm sure you get the point. Anyways, I was planning to make this chapter 'The Party' and have all the main events of Tomoe's party happen now, but I decided it'd be more fun for me (and especially you) if I stopped this chapter before that and told the party events in Natsuki's perspective, since Shizuru keeps worrying about her dad all over the place and – let's face it: it's no fun to hear someone complain about the same shit over and over again.**

***Shizuru interjection: A-Ara? Meanies!***

***Author ignores Shizuru* – back to what I was saying, the next chapter will contain the main contents of the party. Well, it should. I guess you never know since it did take me so long to post this chapter (even though I wrote it like weeks ago…).**

**Link to a drawing of Male-Natsuki under the chapter updates on my account page! I would put the link here, but the image doesn't really apply to this chapter, but I guess you can take a look now if you're really that anxious (if you tried to view the picture already and you_ couldn't_, I've fixed the link; try it now).**

**Hope your lives have been well since the last time I posted a chapter for you…!**

– **Ocha-chan**


	5. Fugue

**DISCLAIMER: … I wish I owned Mai-HiME, but sadly, I don't T.T Please enjoy the long awaited chapter… :)**

* * *

><p><span>Fugue<span>

"Dammit, Nao! Hurry up, will yah?" I shout over my shoulder while digging in my vanity's drawer for a hair cap. It's the night of the party, and Nao decided to come over to my poor excuse of an apartment to get ready.

And when I say 'get ready', I mean eat all the junk food in my kitchen, sleep, and then decide to get dressed thirty minutes before the event starts.

"Well I would've been done already if this place had running hot water, for one." Nao calls from the bathroom across the hall from my bedroom. "I don't understand why you won't use some of your photography money to move into a newer place."

"I'd rather spend the money I make on new equipment. Plus _you're_ the one who took a shower late! Geez… _and_ it was your idea to come over… I was planning to go over your place."

"Well you should've called," I hear Nao attempt to restrain her laughs, which are coming out muffled. She knows what she just brought up.

"I couldn't have… you know that," I say sternly through gritted teeth.

"Oh? And why not…?" More laughter spills from the bathroom.

"Y-You know why… Mai told you…"

"I know she did, but just let me hear it one more time! Please, _Natsuki?_"

Sigh. "Fine… while we visited the zoo in Las Vegas…"

"Keep going."

"Why must she keep asking…" I mumble, receiving a _'What was that?'_ from Nao in return. "Nothing. Anyways, while walking past the monkey cages in the zoo, Chie stopped in front of one of the cages, took my phone, a-and…" I pause, trying to decide whether or not I should just drop the story at this point.

"Oh, come on Kuga! Finish what you were saying!"

"No."

"Fine, I won't finish getting ready until you finish the story!"

Damn, she always gets her way. "Alright, okay! So… Chie grabbed my phone and clicked on a picture of imported bananas we got from a fan, and she showed it to the monkey. Then the monkey… it grabbed the phone a-and ate it." Ashamed and embarrassed, I end up whispering the last part, but it manages to reach Nao's ears anyway.

How can I tell? After hearing her Hyena laughing from across the hall.

"HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! H-He… *laughs* put his arm t-t-through the fucking cage, grabbed it, a-and *laughs*… and _ate it_? Hahahaha! Shit like that only happens to you, Kuga!"

Another minute passes of her hysterical laughing, and it amazes me to know that fans find that cute. "Wow, now that was funny," she says after she finally gains control of her laughter. "Besides, you wouldn't have wanted to come over anyways. I was watching Jersey Shore reruns."

"… You're right."

When I finally find the hair cap (which managed to make its way to the bottom of the drawer), I hear the clacking of heels on the laminate floors.

"N-Nao… a-are you g-going like _that_ to the party?!" I say when I turn to look in her direction as she fully enters the bedroom.

"Why? What's wrong with this?" She runs her hands down the sides of her black, skin-tight dress, which shows as much of her legs as possible without revealing her ass.

Well, if she bends down… that's another story.

"Since you're going all flashy," she continues "why can't I look hot too? Is there a rule or somethin'?"

"Um, I'm not sure if you've forgotten, but you're a _rock star_…" I trail, my eyes taking a stroll from the bottom to top of Nao's appearance, which, I admit, is pretty hot. "_Please _tell me you're at least going to wear a wig with that." _Or a trench coat to cover your fucking legs_… but maybe that won't be a very smart disguise…

"That Fujino chick is going just how she is, right? And I'm sure she's fine."

"But Nao, that's different! She's not–"

"I don't wanna hear it, Kuga! It's been a while since I've gone to a college party – let me enjoy it."

"A-Alright… I'm just looking out for you though…"

Nao chuckles before walking towards me, her perfectly straightened hair flowing around the sides of her face with each movement. "I know you are," she says while ruffling my newly placed wig. "Don't worry about me so much, instead, worry 'bout yourself."

I'm ready to ask her what exactly that meant until I remember something MORE important that _she_ should be worrying about.

"Nao – don't you have a concert scheduled tomorrow?"

"Yeah, what about it–"

"What do you fucking mean, 'what about it'?! That means you've got a rehearsal tonight! You should be going there!"

"Chill. Plus, the rehearsal isn't later tonight; it already started two hours ago…"

Major facepalm. "Do Chie, Mai, and Mikoto know where you are right now? I didn't tell them anything because I thought you already told them the plan for this evening! What about your manager?"

"Kuga, don't worry about it. You're more important than a rehearsal! I can't let any other drunken girls be hanging all around you like a slut."

"But, Nao, when you're drunk, y–" Her pointer finger swiftly rests in the middle of my lips.

"Shhhh, Kuga. None of those times ever happened."

"Uhhh, but I'm pretty sure…"

"Don't we have to leave? We're already going to be late." Nao's finger retreats from my face before she briskly escapes my room (and her drunken stories). A loud creek sounds, signaling that my apartment door has been opened.

"Nao, wait!" I quickly spray myself with a hint of cologne before taking one last look in my vanity's mirror and running out of the room. Nao is standing in the door frame twirling the metal keys to my Ducati.

"I'm waiting." She winks, sending a rush of heat to my cheeks. I just can't take her suggestive comments when she looks like… _t-that_… "And I'm sure your… wife, Fujino, is waiting for you too."

I grab the keys from her hand. "Yeah, she probably is, but I guess she'll be waiting longer because of you."

"Whattaya mean?" Nao adjusts the position of her hips to match her tone.

"With that dress… I-I'm afraid you can't ride my Ducati."

* * *

><p>"I'm there now," Nao's voice erupts through the payphone I used to dial her cell's number.<p>

"About time! It's been over thirty minutes!"

"Well, what do you expect when it's a Saturday night? Lots of other parties are going on, Kuga, meaning lots of other fucked up kids are runnin' around catching cabs after having a little too much to drink. Hell, I'd have to take a cab back tonight even if I wasn't wearing such a short d–"

"Nao."

"What?"

"No drinking tonight. Are you _asking_ me to tell you all the shit you can't remember that I wish I didn't remember?"

"…N–"

"Besides, you've got a concert tomorrow and–"

"Shut up, Kuga. Like you said, I'm a rock star – I'm sure I could handle any drinks and be over my hangover in time for the concert."

She's got a point.

"Besides," she continued, "I'm only not drinking for two reasons: I don't wanna create _anymore _drunken stories of myself; second, I wanna make sure I'm able to keep all those slut-fiends off of ya."

I chuckle a bit at Nao's choice of words. "Okay, Nao. Well, just go in and try to camouflage. And if you see Shizuru… don't talk to her." _I'm afraid of what you might say…_

"Whatever kid. It's not like I'd have anything to talk to her about… wait, actually–"

"JUST GO IN!"

A single tone emits from the phone. I hang up the payphone before making my way over to my Ducati and putting on the helmet. _I better get there before Nao fucks something up…_

After being stuffed up in a plane for hours and shuffled through Vegas in various cars, I can actually remember why I love my motorcycle so much. Although the crisp night isn't exactly the ideal condition to have a nice, relaxing ride through town, it's much more comforting than sitting within the confines of something and not being able to actually experience the drive. Feeling the grooves of the pavement shift my body, the wind nipping at my exposed skin – those things and more is why I love riding.

Maybe that's why the twenty minutes it took me to arrive at the venue went by fast. Too fast.

"Shit shit shit shit…" I mumbled. _I'm not ready… or am I? _Is all I can seem to ask myself in this moment. Sure, I felt pretty pumped about tonight after getting everything together with Chie and Mai; especially once I received Nao's support, but…

Deep down, I feel like I can't do this. Why?

For starters, I don't even _know_ Fujino-san. From the little time we spent together in Vegas, I guess she's an okay girl… She's definitely got great taste in lingerie, and is pretty, but other than that and the fact she's the daughter of someone running for governor of Tokyo, she's a complete stranger.

And with that, I'm starting to think this may not be a … good idea.

"Too late to back out now…" I state bluntly before refocusing all of my attention on the road. I pull into the venue, but I haven't actually parked yet since I'm behind an entourage of some sort. Once the black limousine in front of me parks closely to the curb near the main entrance and a rather large man makes his way around the vehicle, I storm past, revving my precious Ducati's engine (and apparently very loudly since everyone outside seemed to shit bricks), and park in the back of the lot.

"Okay, here we go Natsuki," I say to myself once straightening my tie, brushing off my clothes, and making my last alterations to my wig.

Immediately I realize that making my way through the front door would be quite difficult, especially since that entourage from earlier is still crowding the door. Not to mention the crowd that seems to be swarmed around the entrance. I notice a side door as well.

Won't hurt to try it?

I approach the entryway and pull the cool metal handle. Nothing happens. _If it's not pull, then… push? _I push on the door as well, but the same result reoccurs. If I had my phone right now, I would try to call Shizuru, though I'm not sure where she is within this huge place, and whether or not she'd hear her phone. There'd be better chances of her hearing me if she was near this door…

Wait.

"Can someone open this? Hello?!" I shout while banging the door, hoping someone nearby inside the venue can hear my calling over the pulsating music. "Hello?! Open up, please!"

And for once in my life, my prayers are answered.

"Hey, are you supposed to be entering h– oh."

I look up, greeted by a wide-eyed brunette. She seems flustered.

"Thanks for opening the door," I smile, amused by the blush that spread across her cheeks. So this look really worked, huh? Score one for Kuga. …And Chie and Mai, I guess.

"N-N-No pro-problem…" She mumbles as I make my way by her. Not trying to be rude, but I need to find Shizuru before she bites my head off for being so late.

Actually, she seems too proper for biting anyone's head off, but I don't know – her consequences could be worse. I edge around the venue, aware of the mass of people on the dance floor, the few scattered here and there at the tables and such, and the ones eyeing me from my peripheral vision. I'm not sure what on Earth I'm looking for, but soon I reach the far right corner of the venue, and spot a familiar figure. I approach the girl from behind.

"Fujin–"

However, she manages to swivel on her heel before I can finish.

"Oh, were you talking to me?"

"Uh, no, I-I mean yes, but I thought you were someone else… excuse me," I duck my head and travel deeper into the crowd. _Shit, where the heck could she be?_

Just when I'm about to give up and look for Nao (her redhead would be easy to find), a larger portion of the crowd makes a shift towards the front of the venue, and I can hear some chick yelling "Daddy!" What's going on? …Beats me. But now I have an entirely clear view in front of me, and this time I'm sure.

I'm sure that's Shizuru.

Slowly I approach the girl, and I take in her beautiful, elegant red dress, those long legs, and the perfected curls of her hair. _Gorgeous._ I admit… I am attracted to her looks, but hey – who wouldn't be? I guess it just makes this whole 'fake-marriage' thing a bit easier. And it's not like I like her anyways. I can't… can I?

When I'm finally close enough, instead of calling out to her, I reach for her shoulder.

"Midori. No, I'm not going t–"

Scarlet meets forest green, and if it weren't for the music and dancing bodies in the background, I could have sworn time stopped for just a moment. Just two bodies were in the vast room, perfectly content in that brief space and time.

_Maybe… it's because we haven't seen each other in a week? And we look… different…_

Her voice snaps me out of my trance.

"K-Ku…Kuga?"

She sounds nervous? Maybe even surprised? Haha. "Did ya miss me?" I smirk. For a second, it feels like I can see her thinking about something, before her demeanor slightly changes.

"Not much, but if it makes you feel any better, then yes," she wittily answers, doting her own grin.

"Oh really? That surprised look a second ago says otherwise."

She doesn't respond, and just gestures for me to follow her. _Weird_. I can remember her acting similarly while we were in the courthouse in Vegas. Right after she stared me down, she just… ignored me? No… it was more like she was trying to cover up something. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

"I've already taken a seat at a table with my friends, I hope you don't mind?" She speaks up.

"Nah, not at all." I smile, though her face does not falter this time and she returns the expression.

"Okay, good then. And, um…" I look back at the stunning brunette, her physical features much more vivid from up close. "I just wanted to thank you so much Kuga-san, for _this_," she gestures at me. "You look really… nice."

"Thanks–"

"Shiz, where did you go? I– …WHOA! Who's the cutie?" Suddenly a redhead approaches me, the smell of liquor on her breath drowning my senses a bit more as she nears.

"Speaking of friends…" Shizuru trails, "this is Midori Sugiura, established drinker."

"Hey, that's no way to introduce someone!"

"Ara, I'm most certain she would've found out sooner or later herself…" _Or maybe as soon as she walked over._

I look back and forth between Shizuru and this Midori girl, and honestly, I don't see how the two are friends. Neither that nor how the redhead actually managed to make it comfortably halfway through the party with that dress. I _know _she's gotten at least five perverted looks… and if Chie were here, she would've gotten **a lot** more.

For some reason, the silence between the three of us is awkward…

"Um… Kuga-san" Shizuru nudges me.

"What–" I look down, and see the said 'establish drinker's' outstretched hand reaching towards me. "S-Sorry," I apologetically smile, taking Midori's hand in my own. "I'm Natsuki Kuga, Fujino-san's… fiancé. It's nice meeting you Sugiura-san."

"Don't worry about it! And call me Midori! I feel like my bestie's hot fiancé shouldn't be using formalities with me, right?"

_Hot fiancé? _ _Score another one for Kuga. _"Yeah, I guess you're right," I look over to Shizuru, whose lips are pursed. What got into her all of a sudden? I return my gaze to Midori, who seems unnoticing.

"How about we go to the table?" The brunette speaks, her tone un-matching her previous expression.

"But Shiz, I wanted to go out to the dance floor and warm up with–"

"No."

"No?" Midori looks slightly hurt, as if someone said her dress was ugly.

Shizuru sighs. "I meant, 'no, we still need to introduce Kuga-san to Yohko,' right?" She faces me, and I pick up on the glint in her eyes almost instantly.

"R-Right."

* * *

><p>We arrive at the table shortly after, and I think I like Yohko better than Midori. Just a feeling.<p>

"I've been wondering something since I found out about you, Natsuki-kun. Shizuru never really mentioned you before, so I was wondering how you met?" The darker-haired brunette questions Shizuru and I, and I turn to look at Shizuru. She gives me a simple smile, though the haze in those scarlet orbs tells me that there's a lot going on in her mind to contradict that calm appearance.

_Why am I even looking into things so deeply? Just go along with the flow, Natsuki…_

"Well, we–"

"We were classmates in high school, until Kuga-san left to study abroad?" She says it as if it's a question, and turns to me like my clarification is the answer. _Just go along…_

"Yes. I was actually quite sad when I had to leave, but we kept in contact online."

"How sweeeet," Midori says without much conviction, absentmindedly swirling the tiny straw in her cup.

I find myself staring at her actions, until a flash of red briefly appears in the distance.

Nao?

.

.

.

"…what about you, Natsuki-kun?"

"Uh, yeah..?" I have no idea what they're talking about.

I see Nao again, though she's not looking in my direction. It seems like she's… _sigh._

Flirting with some fanboys of hers. I'm not sure whether or not she came to help me, or help herself. Or both.

"Oh, so you like American girls more than Japanese?!" Midori rises from her seat, giving side glances to Shizuru as if she's trying to prove something.

"What? No!"

"But you just said!"

"Look, I wasn't listening… sorry. Besides," I look at Shizuru, who doesn't look upset at my statement, but kind of irritated. And whether that's directed towards me or her friend, I'm not sure. But I know how to edge my way out of this. "There can't be any prettier girl than the one right next to me." _Smooth._

Midori's eyes widen slightly before she settles herself back in her seat, and when I face Shizuru, she misdirects her eyes. Is she mad or something? I thought that was in character enough. Plus, I wasn't exactly lying. She looks just as good as or even better than the girls I photograph at my agency. And those are supposedly the best looking girls in Japan. I beg to differ.

It's been almost twenty minutes since I last spotted Nao, and I'm starting to wonder about something:

Are Shizuru's friends trying to warm me into their clique?

Or get me dumped the fuck out. Because honestly, I don't even know. It wouldn't matter since Shizuru and I are already aware of much more than they are, but still…

"Have you gotten tested?"

"What?"

"So you haven't?" _The fuck?_

"Wha– I don't have anything" _… that wouldn't really matter anyway. We're not on THAT kind of familiarity. Or should I say not anymore?_

"He's lying… he's too attractive to be the modest type." I hear Midori whisper to Yohko, who stares blankly at me while sipping her drink.

"What would you prefer, taking a crap, or peeing?"

"… What would that have to do with anything?"

"You never know, some things say a lot about a man," Midori sputters more nonsense.

I look to Shizuru, to see if she's seriously listening to this crap. Honestly, it looks like she's not even here… I mean, physically she is, but you can tell she's somewhere else. But what the fuck, she's not going to stop her senile friends, or friend (_*cough* …Midori *cough*_) I should say, from asking me these dumb-as-shit questions?

"You don't like rocks do you? I remember this one guy I liked… he taught things about rocks… He told me he liked me, but then I found out he was already married. You aren't already married, are you?"

_What? _I don't even respond to that one. I even see Yohko shaking her head... there must be some kind of background story, since that question was a bit _too_ elaborate.

"How tall are you?"

"…Around five foot five."

"You're short for a guy." _Well, I'm not exactly a– _

"What's your favorite thing about Shizuru?"

"Uh- uh…," favorite thing? Should I say something personality wise, or…? "H-Her… voice?" I whisper.

"What did you say?"

"Her voi-accent. Accent. It's one of my favorite things about her."

Midori simply nods her head, as if agreeing to my comment. Though her head's probably bobbing because she's drunk and doesn't know what the hell she's doing/saying.

"Fujino-san," I nudge the girl's shoulder, and she finally snaps back from whatever she was doing while I was being interrogated by her friends. "I need to talk with y–"

"Hey!" Midori says abruptly after taking a swig from her cup and slamming the object down on the table. "W-Why do you g-guys say each other's names formally? You've known each other f-for a long time right? That's pretty w-weird," the girl hiccups through her statement.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that earlier…" Yohko finally speaks up, her calculating eyes showing a hint of suspicion.

Shit, I never realized.

"Ummm, we, ah, we–…" I turn my head to Shizuru, who… **doesn't** look unsettled, to my surprise. But once again, I have a feeling… some weird feeling that that's not the case.

"Ara, you're right! We're sorry, we just haven't seen each other in a while… so it's kind of like starting fresh each time we see one another. Being polite and everything… which I like," Shizuru, as if it were scripted, turns to me and gives me a large smile.

"Yeah, haha…" I laugh awkwardly.

The only time I can remember something feeling this… unnatural… is when the stylist for Nao's band did her hair in pigtails with large, pink bows.

That sight = _unnatural_.

Trust me.

Oh, and this picture of a flat-chested Mai from her first year of middle school… QUITE disturbing.

Before I can recover from the troubling images within my mind, another disruption makes itself apparent.

"SHIZURU!" _What now…_ I turn away from the table, and my eyes capture the presence of a girl with turquoise colored hair. My sight drifts back to those sitting at my table. Shizuru has visibly stiffened, and Yohko looks less nonchalant. Hell, even Midori's drunken behavior isn't as sloppy, if it weren't for her odor.

_Who is this girl..?_

"Shizuru!" The girl exclaims once more, and before Shizuru decides whether or not she wants to move her own body, she is forcefully pulled to her feet and pulled into a bear hug.

Shizuru, irritably, it seems to me, pulls herself away from the girl and, akin to many of the other times this evening at the party, dotes a fake smile.

"How's my party?" The girl with the strangely styled hair earnestly questions.

Oh.

So _she's_ the birthday girl… the 'creepy' girl Shizuru was talking about from the airport? What was her name again..?

I take a closer look at her, and the only thing I find, not creepy, but odd about the girl is her hair. Other than that, she just seems like an overly-outgoing, touchy kind of girl. That may be bad in some ways, but the way Shizuru described her made it seem like she was the plague.

"It's going quite nicely. This is a really nice place you've rented."

"Rented? Oh no, my father owns this."

Pawned.

I laugh to myself, and another one of Shizuru's true expressions slip through, as I can tell she was surprised. And from the looks of it, the birthday girl can tell too.

"Sooo… Is this the lucky man right here?" The girl changes the subject and turns towards me. I can only be pleasantly surprised from her innocent features, which weren't easy to see from her profile view. She's got pretty eyes.

Not as alluring as Shizuru's though.

"Yes…," Shizuru stiffens before introducing us, and instead of reaching out her hand, the girl, named Tomoe, envelopes me in a hug. With Tomoe's back turned towards her, Shizuru frowns and mouths something to me, but I can't make out what she's saying.

Before I can silently reply, the hug ends almost as quickly as it was initiated.

"I hope we can become friends." The turquoise-headed girl says.

"Sure, I don't see why not?" I mean, it shouldn't hurt, right? Maybe this way Shizuru could get on better terms with her before our 'divorce'.

"Awh, thanks!" She gives me another smile. "Have you been to the dance floor at all tonight?"

"Uh, no, I haven't actually, I–"

"Wait, you haven't? Well what are you sitting around here for? Let's go!" The girl begins to drag me with her, but a firm grasp stops both of us in our tracks.

"Sorry, Tomoe, but K – _Natsuki_ was just about to get me a drink…" Shizuru's eyes pierce through my own, though, once again, her face is completely opposite. I gulp.

"Oh, I forgot, sorry." I gently pull my arm away from Tomoe's hold, and apologetically smile. "A woman's gotta get what she wants, right?"

"I suppose… how about I go with you?"

"Sure–"

"Actually, I'll go with you Natsuki. We shouldn't keep the birthday girl from tending to her own party."

"I guess…" What the hell, Shizuru? I know she told me Tomoe was a creep, but the only thing I see right now is the brunette being a jerk. I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty mean to my peers up into high school. Maybe that's why I can see Shizuru behaving so dismissively right now.

"No, I'm fine!" I can hear Tomoe say, though Shizuru is already pulling me towards the drink bar before the girl's protest could be acknowledged.

"Fujino-san."

"It's Shizuru… we've already gotten caught for that…"

"Sorry, you're right… But… why are you being so mean to that girl? And you've been distant all night_?"_

I finally see Shizuru take a deep breath, and for the first time tonight, her facial expression mimics what she's saying. "For the distant thing, I guess you could say I've got a lot on my mind. Also, parties like this aren't really my cup of tea," she stops before running a hand through her curled locks of hair. Only now have I realized we've reached the drink bar. I ask the bartender for a ginger ale, and the scarlet-eyed girl does the same.

"And… look," she continues after taking a sip, "I'm not trying to be rude by saying this, but you don't know anything in the position you're in right now… please don't get offended," she says softly. I'm not offended, but I can't help but feel rather… belittled.

I mean, she did basically say I know nothing, but I can understand why.

"It's like, you're in my home turf, so I shouldn't expect you to know everything about everyone, because you don't. Like Tomoe, she's just… Tomoe. Just try to understand that the way I'm acting … it's… justified."

The misted look in the girl's eyes spoke volumes, and only then did I come to the conclusion of how unprepared the both of us really were.

Miscommunication, misinterpretations, and inattentiveness… those words and a few others could describe our behavior, our vibe as a team. And that's what we're supposed to be, a team. But with the way we've been acting, we certainly don't seem like one. Unless our team is formed of golfers and hockey players.

_We're lucky we've made it this far…_

Suddenly, when I thought there couldn't be **any more** surprises jam packed into one event, a roar of cheers and chants erupts on the dance floor. Shizuru and I steer our gaze in that direction, and the red-eyed girl simultaneously voices my thoughts.

"A-Ara… 'Kiss Cam'?"

Well, my thoughts were more like: Who the _fuck_ has a Kiss-Cam at a birthday party? It's not like its New Years!

Shizuru seems to be mumbling something to herself, though my gaze returns to the monitor (which I didn't even notice until now?) over the dance floor, showing two more unlucky people pressured into kissing one another.

On the stage in front of the crowd, where the DJ has been working all night, I see a small group talking.

Hold up, is that… Tomoe?

A girl is standing on the stage, talking with a man wearing a headset. Three other men are behind the two, but I can't tell you what they're doing since my vision is quickly obscured by Shizuru's figure.

"What?" I look up at the girl who's now standing and looking rather frantic.

"N-Natsuki, we've got to go, I–"

I can only see a sliver behind Shizuru, but that was enough. That sight was all I needed to tell me why we HAD to go somewhere else.

But it was too late.

Cheers resonate much louder than before, and a new image had flashed upon the screen of Shizuru and I.

"Come on, kiss her!"  
>"What are you waiting for?!"<br>"They are so perfect together…"  
>"If you don't kiss him, I will!"<p>

All focus was on us, and just then, it felt like a ton of weight was loaded on my shoulders. Our shoulders. I took a moment to assess the situation, but there was no escape. No way out.

"Natsuki… kun." That voice, the accent, sends shivers down my spine, and I meet Shizuru's eyes with my own. Her expression… for once tonight, I can't read it. But I can tell she's made the same conclusion I just did a second ago, and has decided to… to act on it.

She takes a step closer, bringing our bodies within finger length.

A million thoughts are running through my head right now, but I feel my mind giving in to the still ongoing chants.

_Kiss her…?_

I cup her face in my hand, and internally admire her fair, porcelain-like skin. A small blush develops on her cheeks, only adding to her sultry look.

Am I… turned on right now?

I move in closer, her breath tickling my face… her sweet scent filling my nose.

Kiss her.

Our noses touch, and I notice the brunette has already closed her eyes, her arms linked around my shoulders. I rest my other hand on her hips, and my eyes close as well. My heartbeat has become one with the music, and I… I'm actually… anticipating the kiss…

Slowly, but surely, the distance between our lips closes, but...

I never feel them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: What to say, what to say? Well, regarding my absence from FF.N, I really don't have anything worthwhile other than life gets in the way... and **I kinda shut down as a writer I suppose. But just checking my account again and seeing that I still get some reviews once in awhile, that people are still reading my stories and whatnot made me really happy, and also caused me to feel guilty for being inactive. Therefore I have decided to write again! I am working on this fic once more, since many of you like this story. I feel like my writing has changed than when I first began the story, so the style/ content may seem different. I have tried to make alterations within the pre-existing chapters, though I didn't want to change everything plot-wise... basically, Shizuru is less "cute Natsuki" and Natsuki's not very blush-heavy in these early chapters... I don't want to make it seem like two strangers could already like each other lol. So... yeah. I know some of you might hate me, but don't hate me too much? Please? ... Love you guys :) Continue to R&R... you don't know how much that inspires an author to write more! Don't forget to check my profile for more updates!****

****- Ocha-chan****

****p.s: If the chapter feels kind of odd (which I reeally hope it doesn't), it's because I wrote half of it almost a year ago, and the other half now. And if there's any mistakes, I'll try to make corrections later... I just wanted to post a chapter for you all asap.****


	6. Diminishing

**DICLAIMER: Sunrise… let's make a deal for your characters, shall we?**

* * *

><p><span>Diminishing<span>

_…_

_I'm waiting for you here,  
>When will you reach me, love?<br>I've been waiting all these years,  
>Never gonna give up.<em>

_But I've reached the last board,  
>This bridge, it's fading away<br>And you're on the other side  
>So soon, this fairytale ends<em>

_Oooo ooooh!_

The last chord of the song shimmers from the metal strings of the lead guitar, and the crowd goes wild, as usual.

'_Click'_

"Thank you guys so much for coming out tonight! You were awesome!" A fierce-looking girl pants into her studded microphone, the exhaustion from pouring her heart out in her previous song very apparent to the onlookers, who, of course, didn't mind.

She and the rest of her standing band members take a bow, and the drummer merely nods her head, accepting the cheers from their fans.

'_Click'_

Everyone in the stadium is showing so many mutual emotions regarding what they just saw and heard: grinning and laughing and smiling. Everyone is, in some sense, jovial, except for maybe one person.

Me.

"Nice job girls, you sounded great!", "Another wonderful performance, ladies!", "You all are really becoming quite the band, you know that?" I make my way back stage, listening in on the post-concert celebrations.

"Thanks, but now it's time for the post-concert _party_!" A familiar voice shouts with glee and reckless intention, as if she had no other care in the world.

_I wish I had no care in the world as of right now… _

_But because of SOMEONE, I don't…_

"Oh, Natsuki, you were here tonight?" The crew manager approaches me after leaving the main room backstage.

What does he mean, 'you were here'? "Yeah, was I not supposed to be or something?" I'm usually at every concert, especially ones in Japan.

"Oh, no, it's just that Nao had said earlier you wouldn't be here tonight becau–" The middle-aged man's voice falls on muted ears, and I walk by him. As soon as a certain name slipped from his tongue, I lost interest.

I find my feet pulling me towards the band's dressing room – my usual destination after an event such as this, but I take note of my habit and change my course before–

"Yo, Kuga!"

Dammit. Keep walking…

"Kuga!" I quicken my pace and don't say a word. Maybe she'll think she mistook me for someone else since I _apparently _wasn't even expected to be here. Well, that's what I hope. But… I know deep down it's not very likely to be unable to recognize someone you've known since middle school.

However, I glance over my shoulder, just to check…

S-S_he isn't following me? _I stop and glance around for a second.

_So she really didn't recognize me?! _I smirk. I'll make fun of her for it later, when we're on speaking terms I guess–

"BOO!"

"HOLY FUCK, I SWEAR I'M NOT HIDING ANYTHING, I–"

"AHAHAHA!"

My eyes narrow at the sight of a redhead reeled over in front of me, obviously enjoying the reaction too much. Even after a minute, her crazy laugh has yet to end.

"Hahaha, you're a real comedian. Springing from around corners and whatnot…" I soak my words in sarcasm, folding my arms across my chest in the process.

"_Holy fuck!_," the redhead mimics my rightfully startled response from before, exaggerating the pitch of my voice to purposely make me sound like an idiot. She holds her stomach once more. "S-Seriously Kuga… you can't make me l-laugh like this right after I p-perform…!"

"Nao, I'm leaving."

"W-Wait! H-Hold up, Kuga!"

She screeches to a halt in front of me, successfully blocking my path. I try stepping around her, but just as she imitated my voice, she moves in sync with my evasive maneuvers as well. I lift an eyebrow.

"So how long are you going to keep this up for?" I say before moving again, gesturing to her newly found place directly in front of me.

"I feel like I should ask you the same question."

"Do you really think you're in the position to be asking me questions, after what you've done?"

She stalls for a moment, as if really contemplating her next response. For a second, I'm hoping she'll actually apologize or say something that makes sense, but this is Nao.

"I don't know what you're talking about." (See what I'm saying?)

_Really? You _really_ don't know what the fuck I'm talking about?_

"Nao," I shoot her a pointed glare.

"Kuga," she gives me a funny quirk in response. We have a staring contest for a couple of seconds, when the rocker wiggles her eyebrows in amusement.

"Look, I really don't have time for this…" I trail, ignoring Nao's position in front of me and walking right through her. "Plus now I've got these photos to develop and upload. I–"

"Wait, answer this one thing!" The girl says quickly.

I stop in my tracks and turn my head towards the girl once more, my expression telling her to get on with it. And she does.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls? I bought you a new phone on Sunday for a reason," she questions, addressing the iPhone 5 that is currently in sitting atop the coffee table in my apartment.

"Oh, you're talking about that bribery gift you gave me in exchange for me not being pissed at you? Well, if you couldn't tell, that obviously didn't work."

"So… you were ignoring my calls?"

"No, I haven't even opened that, to be honest," I reply, grinning at her wide-eyed reaction before continuing towards the back parking lot.

"Wait! Let me take you out tonight." The redhead says, grabbing my arm in the process. She runs up in front of me once more, her hand sliding down to my wrist. _Not this again… _"Come on, whattaya say?"

"I say no." The girl pouts.

"I'll take you out to dinner?"

"I already had dinner." Actually, I haven't yet.

"Liar, no you didn't." She smirks, as if there's some untold joke within her words.

_And how would she know, I never… oh_.

"I knew you didn't," the girl's cocky smirk grows wider, as if her brilliant plan to read my expression and find out if I actually DID have dinner was worthy of a prize. "So…," she continues, "how about a turkey sandwich from Joe's?"

"No."

"With mayonnaise?"

… now she's trying to tempt me. I sigh loudly, not only briefly relieving of my own pent up emotions, but expressing how tired I am of Nao's bull.

"Listen Nao, I don't understand why you can't just apologize like a normal person? Just a simple 'I'm sorry' would make things better." Not really, but it'd be less annoying than what she's been doing for the past two days, which has been constant nagging and attempts at bribing me into no longer ignoring her.

"What would I be apologizing for? I didn't do anything wrong!"

…

_What? _Did she really just say what _I think_ she did?

I'm guessing the incredulous feeling rushing through my body is reflecting on my face, like most of my emotions do, since the other girl releases her grip and backs up slightly.

"OH, so you don't think CHUCKING a HIGH HEEL at someone's head is WRONG?!" My blood boils as each memory of the event this past weekend flashes through my mind. And not only that, but doing so in front of hundreds of people – there was even a paparazzi crew! Besides, this swollen spot on the side of my head serves enough as a nuisance without her added efforts.

"W-Well Fujino was looking like she was trying to eat you, so–"

"What? No, Nao, she was playing her role as my _fiancée_… we've already discussed this, why can't you stop being jealous and just get over yourself?"

"ME, jealous? I could have any guy, or girl, I want Kuga."

"Nao, you're missing the point," I deadpan.

"And what point is it that I'm failing to understand?"

"I'm not trying to say that you're jealous of me, that you can't get a girl or guy, or whatever! I'm saying that I know what you're worried about – losing me to her."

"What? Well aren't you sounding quite full of yourself."

"Oh, am I? I'm only repeating what you said in Vegas… something about me taking the side of a girl I've known for days over you, whom I've known for years – does that sound about right?" The blank stare on the singer's face and her lack of response suggests that _now_ she's getting my point. "I'm not trying to take her side and just be mad at you – she and I both made mistakes that night… but what you did was… it created more of a problem on top of the already existing one."

"Hey, Naoooo! Let's go to the karaoke bar, my tre–...oops." My head darts over to the source of the voice, only to find Chie walking at a slow, cautious pace. Just then, Mai and Mikoto come from behind her, immersed in their own conversation. They only stop once they bump into the tomboy, copying her reaction to finding Nao and I.

"It looks like they were at it again…," Mai whispers to Chie, and I'm unsure whether or not I was supposed to hear that. My gaze returns to their original target before the trio arrived on the scene.

"Nao…" I unconsciously utter, bewildered by the glaze in her bright eyes. But as soon as I spot it, the look disappears.

"…If you change your mind about tonight, call me," the redhead says before heading towards the rest of her band, the previous amusement in her tone and confidence in her demeanor still apparent, but not as strong. Maybe my words affected her a bit? …Or was it something else?

I continue the trek to my Ducati, though much slower since I've already encountered the band leader.

I wonder what happened… it's not often Nao shows any side other than her mischievous, silly, or dumbshit ones. Maybe I was too harsh…? _But I was just asking for an apology_.

"Oh, so what's happening _tonight_?"

"Shut the hell up, Chie. Nothing akin to **that**." I stop for a moment and listen in on their conversation, their voices growing steadily faint.

"So why are you being so persistent? I've never seen you pester about something for days since that time when you lost that bet with Natsuki over who could have sex–"

"Who's singing first? Mikoto? Mai–"

"– with that one chick from your school first. You soooo lost–"

"Hey Chie?"

"Yeah?"

"You talk too fucking much."

"I love you too, Nao."

I smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's POV<strong>

It was well into the night when the redhead reached her spacious flat after spending two hours at the karaoke bar. She shut the door softly behind herself, and sighed deeply once she fully leaned against its cool, flat surface. She pulled out her phone from her pocket, checking the time on her home screen. _9:32pm…? It'd be kinda late for a dinner, but maybe… _Her thumb instantly swept to the small mail icon, halting as the phone began loading her messages.

_Please say I got a new message, pleaaase! _The girl begged internally, uncaring of how anxious she was at the moment. Yeah, she might seem like a tough, fearless badass on the outside, though Nao new deep down that she was just like any other girl.

Anxious, scared… weak…

…though she'd **never** dare show it. That's why the rocker was particularly glad that she hadn't invited her band members back to her place, or else they may have witnessed the completely disappointed expression she wore when her phone finally retrieved her inbox.

_**No New Messages**_

"No new messages…" the girl breathlessly uttered, her thumb now tracing over the bold letters within the screen.

_Did I… is what I did really that bad? No… maybe she forgot… _the girl thought, though she wasn't even convinced with that answer herself. For the past three days since the party she had been asking Natsuki in person, calling her – texting her. Almost every hour or two she'd attempt to reach the girl, never apologizing though, always just asking if she could take the blunette out for a movie, to eat, or maybe to some of their favorite spots to hang since high school. Unfortunately for the singer, Natsuki would either not answer her, make the excuse that she was busy at work, or that she needed to think about things between her and Shizuru.

_Shizuru… _Nao trailed, her throat becoming tight and her body suddenly feeling influenced by some _foreign_ emotion.

"Maybe… maybe it's because I've been singing all day…" she muttered, heading to her fridge. She pulled out a bottle of water, overwhelmed by the smooth, crisp feeling rushing down her esophagus. She closed her eyes, attempting to shut off her other senses and simply focus on the cool liquid, though the vast endlessness created by her eyelids soon welcomed images of a certain midnight-haired girl. The redhead squeezed her eyes shut more, though not even that aided her struggle. Before she realized it, she had chugged the entire bottle.

She opened her eyes, and for one brief moment, her vision was clear. She stood there, staring at the stainless-steel refrigerator handle in front of her, before another moment regarding the emerald-eyed girl appeared, almost like there was a projector somewhere in the apartment, playing short clips of the past when the two girls lived together, separate from Nao's mother.

She watched as Natsuki tried to pry past her own figure, which was blocking the other girl's entry to the refrigerator. The two were laughing nonstop, it seemed, both perfectly content and enclosed within their own little world.

The redhead made her way slowly to the living room, sitting on the leather couch where she first told Natsuki that she wanted to start a band instead of going to college, only to hear the protests and numerous worries and warnings from the shorty. She remembered when they would watch a movie together, and the adorable snores the girl would make once falling asleep, awaking a second later swearing that she was watching the entire time. Or even when Nao herself would come home from her horrible part-time job. The blunette would invite the girl over to the couch and let Nao lay her head in her lap, unaware that lime-green eyes never once reached the television screen, as they were much too captivated by another sight.

Nao remembered waiting for the girl in the living room, alternating between sitting on the couch and standing since it was taking the biker so long to decide what to wear. It _was _her first date with a **girl**, after all. Plus, it was the girl she came out the closet for. Nao had heard lots about this girl from Natsuki, who expressed how perfectly she wanted their date to unfold. Though she didn't want to admit it, the redhead felt slightly down when she saw Natsuki's date arrive at the door. She couldn't shut the door in her face and say Natsuki cancelled no matter how badly she wanted to – Natsuki would have probably killed her. But Nao would rather have been killed than to sit and chat with the girl's date in that very same living room, having to accept the fact that the younger woman really _was _pretty, funny, and all those other things Natsuki ranted about. Hell, the singer even remembered the night when Natsuki cried her heart out in her arms after finding out her 'love' had been cheating on her for two months. As cruel as it may sound, the redhead was actually pretty happy that night. Though she told herself it was because she really didn't like the girl - that Natsuki was better off without her. That was all there was to it.

But on the inside, Nao couldn't help but notice how right the photographer felt in her arms. She would've let Natsuki stay there all night, _forever_ if she wanted to...

_W-What…_

"…What the hell's wrong with me?" Nao spoke aloud, recovering from her day dreaming and feeling moistness on her cheeks.

_I was… crying?_

_Shit, shit, shit… _the girl clutched her chest, that weird feeling overwhelming her again. She was no stranger to the unusual sensation, as she often felt it through physical contact with the blunette during their high school days; however, never then did she try to figure out what it was. She simply let it grow and fade away again, and since Natsuki had moved out to her own place, the emotion became dormant. Only since this Shizuru girl came into the scene had Nao realized it had never really gone away.

_It had never completely faded and probably never will, unless I figure out what the hell is wrong with me… maybe I should go see a doctor._

Nao sat up from her previous position on the couch. Sitting in the living room reminiscing was doing her no good at all. She reached for the remote, pressing the red 'OFF' button and hearing a brief 'click' shortly after, the darkened television screen confirming what Nao had wanted. After turning off the TV and the other lights in the kitchen and the lamp next to the couch, the redhead dragged her feet to her room, and, not even bothering to change clothes, threw herself atop the King sized bed.

The bed that she and Natsuki had shared.

_Fuck, there's no escaping her in this place, is there?_ The girl furrowed her brow, roughly sweeping her hand through her layered locks of hair.

Lying atop the covers, Nao faced her bedside lamp, trying her best to rid her mind of the other girl, a task she already rendered quite impossible. Just behind her is where Natsuki would sleep, her light snores in the living room mimicked in the bedroom as well. Lime would watch the rising and falling of the girl's chest, trailing to her angel-like face. Nao would always deem it as a protective measure though, that checking out the girl while she slept was just to look for cuts or bruises since that was the only time she could do so effectively – the Lord only knows how stubborn Natsuki could be at times, refusing to tell Nao how she got certain marks or if she had gotten into a fight or really fell down a flight of stairs, which is what the blunette would often propose as the reasoning behind her injuries. Though the 'protective look-overs' eventually turned into long stares, as if the redhead was afraid the younger girl would perish right before her eyes; as if those pink lips were the most exotic creature; as if that face was a marble statue carved by Botticelli himself.

_But in that case, wouldn't she have to be nude..?_

The sensation once again washed over Nao's being.

"Shut the hell up inner voice…," the girl mumbled into her pillow, attempting to bury her face deeper within its conformities.

When the sudden renewal of the bothersome emotion dwindled again, Nao's mind drifted a few days back, back to the scene she witnessed from the edge of the dance floor.

To the scene of Natsuki almost closing the space between her and Shizuru.

To the scene of Shizuru's slightly opened mouth, awaiting Natsuki's.

To the scene she desperately wanted to stop, which she did.

"But not without Natsuki treating me like an ass…" The girl said while rolling over on the bed, stretching her arms above her head, grazing the headrest. Sure, she'd admit that taking off her heel and chucking it in their direction wasn't exactly the wisest thing, but it sure did beat the alternative of watching that dreadful kiss. Nao didn't even mind if Natsuki and her first girlfriend kissed in front of her, but she refused to stand there and watch a complete stranger 'get the goods' without having earned those lips. Besides, Nao felt like the scarlet-orb woman was taking advantage of Natsuki's physical attraction to her, whether the two of them were aware of it or not.

_I know, I know that doesn't make sense… but lots of things in my life haven't; especially up till this point. _

Like, seriously? Why did the heel have to hit Natsuki? Even though Nao had no sense of direction while throwing her Louboutin heel, she sure as hell knew where she **wanted** it to end up…

Though she was sure if things turned out like that, Natsuki would be even more furious with her.

_She'd most likely take more offense to Shizuru getting hit… she's always put others in front of herself for as long as I've known her…_

_For as long as I've known her._

That phrase brought back memories of the much recent past, of her and Natsuki's conversation after the concert hours ago. Though Nao pulled off her usual amused, calm, and witty demeanor, she was actually really hurt from the blunette's dismissive behavior.

Being the center-of-attention seeker she was, Nao hated being ignored and turned down, so when Natsuki did it, that only made the impact a thousand times worse.

Nao was afraid though that she had let her emotions seep through a little once Chie and Mai and Mikoto showed up, because Natsuki had said something she couldn't quite catch. She couldn't help it though – hearing Natsuki use her own words in support of Shizuru like that really hurt, and the thought had just occurred to her that _maybe_ the blunette was looking forward to that kiss; maybe she was looking forward to being with Shizuru, and that's why she kept refusing her dinner or lunch requests, her gifts, and her pleads.

_The girl should KNOW the only person I really ever apologize sincerely to is my mother…_

Nao's ever-shifting mindset took another turn for the nth time that night, recalling the last time she saw her mother, which was in a hospital bed a few weeks ago. Since then, her mother had returned home to her sister, Nao's aunt, who began living with her since Nao and Natsuki moved out and could no longer give her immediate attention. The redhead had felt bad – she hadn't talked to her own mother in three weeks. When Nao and Natsuki lived together, the two made it a regularity to call the woman that gave them practically everything every single morning and night, just to tell her how their day went or simply chat.

_How things have changed since Natsuki moved out…_

* * *

><p>The girl checked her phone again.<p>

_**1:02am.**_

Nao laid in a relatively similar position to when she first got in bed some four hours ago, still failing to fall asleep. She sighed over the thought that kept her up.

_I can't take this anymore, I've got to call Natsuki and apologize._ The girl went to reach for her phone just before she remembered the time, reminding herself that Natsuki wasn't much of a late-night person, always being the first to go to bed.

_Okay… I'll do it first thing in the morning…_

Thirty minutes later, and the girl was still awake.

_I'm not going to get any rest unless I call… But what if she doesn't answer again? Won't I be coming off as really weak though if I apologize first? Maybe I should just wait until she accepts my dinner offer…_

Thirty minutes later.

_Fuck._

The girl took out her phone and dialed in the memorized cell number, wishing that Natsuki had finally unboxed the rather costly phone she was given. It rang and rang and rang…

And rang and rang and rang.

"_**Hello, the number you have reached is –"** _The voice ceased.

Nao removed the phone from her face, surprised, first off, that the phone she bought the blunette was on at last; secondly, when the voicemail lady suddenly stopped speaking.

Although she was REALLY surprised when she saw Natsuki's number pop up again on the screen instead.

"Hello!" Nao hurriedly answered, realizing she sounded a bit… too excited. "Uh-um, I mean _hello_?" _There, that was better._

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Do _you _know what time it is?" The redhead repeated the question.

There was a long pause until the husky voiced filled the phone speaker once more. "… Nao, if you're going to start with me again, I'm just going to hang–"

"NO! I mean, that's not what I meant… I'm just surprised that you answered, is all…" Nao nervously giggled. _Just don't hang up on me yet…_

"… Okay. So… what do you want?" Nao was a little disheartened that Natsuki was still speaking to her like that, but her talking to her rudely today was better than not receiving a response at all like yesterday and the day before that.

"It's about what I asked earlier… but I guess we can't do anything at this hour… how about later today?" Nao remained hopeful, despite how long it was taking Natsuki to reply.

"… Uh, actually I just spoke with Shizuru a little while ago. She said that her dad wanted me over for dinner."

_So that's her answer?_

_Choosing Shizuru over me, again…_

"O-Oh, did she? Uh, okay… well since you already have plans, have fun I guess...And I'm sorry," the girl quickly added before hanging up, her arm practically going limp, falling to her side on the bed. _See there, Nao? You managed to apologize AND get rejected. Again. Can you go to bed now?_

"Yes I can…"

No matter how upset she felt, the redhead could certainly feel sleep deprivation taking a toll on her eyes and her mind. She propped two pillows behind her head, cuddling a third in her arms, her cell phone still in her hand's strong grip.

Just before she could finally slip into slumber, her phone shook against her palm.

_A text…?_ Nao rubbed at her eyes, slowly bringing the phone up to her face and squinting when its background light briefly blinded her.

_**(1) New Text Message**_

_I really don't feel like checking this, I'll just do it after I wake up…_

Before the girl could set the device on the dresser to her right, a familiar vibration occurred again.

_**(2) New Text Message**_

_Ah shit, can a girl just get some sleep?! _She opened her messages as she did when first arriving in the living space.

"Natsuki..?" The girl gurgled, her drowsiness getting the best of her at the moment.

_**Natsuki, 2:14am:  
>Nao? Awake?<strong>_

_**Natsuki, 2:15am:**_  
><em><strong>… Tomorrow. Let's meet up tomorrow at 4pm at the amusement park.. you're buying everything though :)<strong>_

_Hell yes._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I freaking LOVED writing this chapter! And sorry if switching to third person confused some of you, but quite frankly, I feel like I'm better at expressing a character more fluidly that way, so I decided it was crucial to get out Nao's side of the story in that method. And I know I said Nao and Natsuki's relationship was COMPLETELY platonic, but… I never said that one of them wanted it that way ;) To be honest, I don't think Nao realizes that she likes Natsuki; she just knows that those looks she gives the girl and how she feels sometimes isn't normal lol. And btw Natsuki wasn't really adopted… more like Nao and her mom took her in, and, somehow, got her enrolled in school, but not legally lol. Let's just pretend that's possible, kay? ^_^ I apologize now for typos… I would check, but I REALLY need to study for my AP Exam tomorrow (which I'm going to fail D': ) Tell me what you think! I love reading your reviews! And silent readers, let me hear from you too once in awhile, okay? The more you review, the more inclined I am to write the next chapter rather soon… usually :P**

**And thanks for the great response to Ch. 5! I hope to not let any of you down with this chapter!**

– **Ocha-chan**

**p.s.: the point of view will return to 1****st****, just in case you were less happy with the 3****rd**** person (aka Author's point of view). Also, I just made up the lines for the song in the beginning, LOL. Don't make fun of me for it! .**


	7. Just Doing My Job

**Usually I'd write the disclaimer first, BUT I have something more important to announce! There's new fan art on my Photobucket account for this story! Please check it out by using the link on my profile, and remember: you can PM me if you create anything for one of my stories as well! AAAAND… I got mixed reviews about using 3****rd**** Omniscient POV (which I will be referring to as Author's POV)… and to those of you who liked it, I know you're going to like this chapter! Lol. And to those who have warned against mixing up the story or if you simply like 1****st**** POV better, I'm sorry ****本当にごめんなさい。****Buuuuut let's just say you should be thankful for this… I'll explain at the end in an A/N since this is SURELY long enough lol.  
>DISCLAIMER: …You already know.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Just Doing My Job<span>

_When I was darkness at that time fueteru kuchibiru__  
><em>_Heya no katasumi de I cry__  
><em>_Mogakeba mogaku hodo tsukisasaru kono kizu__  
><em>_Yaburareta yakusoku hurt me__Nobody can save me__  
><em>_Kamisama hitotsu dake__  
><em>_Tomete saku you na my love__I need your love__  
><em>_I'm a broken rose__  
><em>_Maichiru kanashimi your song__  
><em>_Ibasho nai kodoku na my life…_

The hauntingly raspy voice flooded my eardrums as I swept my finger across the plastic album casing. Instrumentals kicked in, tempting my nails to tap against the hard surface. _Wow. They're really good. She's really good._

_I wanna need your love…__  
><em>_I'm a broken rose__  
><em>_I wanna need your love…__I need your love__  
><em>_I'm a broken rose__  
><em>_Maichiru kanashimi your song__  
><em>_Ibasho nai kodoku na my life__I need your love__  
><em>_I'm a broken rose.__  
><em>_Oh baby, help me from frozen pain__  
><em>_With your smile, your eyes, sing to me, just for me…_

Slowly the chorus began to fade into nothingness, and I felt myself anticipating another track, actually anxious for it.

"Shizuru?"

Tearing the source of music from my ears, I turned to face whoever was interrupting my – oh.

"Hey, are you ready to go? We've been here for like thirty minutes, you know," the short haired brunette called from a distance, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

"R-Right, thanks for getting me, Yukino," I reluctantly placed the CD player back on its rack, removing the shiny disc that was once inside of it only to put the round object back in its original enclosure. Even though I refused to admit it before, I definitely had to agree with everyone else that Nao was extremely talented – not to mention the rest of her band. Especially her though, not trying to be biased towards the lead singer of a group. _Nice to know she's skilled at something other than throwing._ Speaking of throwing, the only reason I had ventured to the music store was to check out the band that I, apparently, was the last to hear about.

When the story of_ "The Insects' lead singer assaults Fujino-san's potential son-in-law"_ came out in the tabloids, I took it upon myself to find out what exactly this group was. It never occurred to me that Natsuki's assaulter was actually a multi-winning platinum artist who's band had acclaimed fame outside of our small province of Japan. Those people at the punch bowl, Yohko and Midori's behavior at the table – it all made sense now. Also, it just so happened that Yukino had a book to drop off before we made our way to school this morning, and her being my lab partner for the past few weeks, it had become a sort of routine to walk with each other to class since our paths from home intersected and we were practically on the same schedule.

"So, did you like it?"

"Yeah, it was good…" I trailed, picturing the redhead in her skintight black dress. She really didn't look like the bundle of vocal chords she was.

"I went to their concert once."

"Huh?" I stopped in my tracks, turning towards my mouse-like peer.

"I said I went–"

"Ara, not that," I waved off, grinning. "I'm talking about _you_ going to a _rock _concert."

"I don't seem like the rock type to you?" The girl's brows furrowed, her clutch on her leather school bag visibly increasing.

"Um, no, I was just saying…"

"You don't have to lie Shizuru," she smiled at me lightheartedly, the both of us resuming our slow pace up the weathered sidewalk. I returned the expression, a bit more apologetic though. "I know I seem a bit too reserved for music blasting over one-hundred twenty decibels, but I enjoy it."

_She would say it in such a technical manner_, I thought; the small smirk I couldn't keep from growing on my face luckily going unnoticed by the rather attentive girl.

"I got a picture with the band, actually. Their photographer took it."

"They have a personal photographer? Are they too famous for paparazzi?" I joked, not actually intending to get an actual answer from the girl.

"Well, I heard the photographer is close friends with the band," the girl looked up, stroking her chin. "I can't remember her name fully… Na-Natsu. Something along those lines."

I gulped. _Natsu… as in Natsuki_?

"She has dark hair… now that I remember, it was up in a ponytail too." I couldn't help but think back to the last time I saw the girl in her 'actual' form, her midnight hair clad in a hairband and falling just above her bra line.

"Ah–! I remember now, her name's Natsuki! But I'm not too fond of her last name."

_Ara. Shit._

"Wait, isn't your fiancé named Natsuki too?"

_Double Shit._

* * *

><p>"So THAT'S what you meant when you said you were around enough celebrities?"<p>

"Yeah, I thought I told you before you left what my job, well, part-time job, was?"

I thought back on that faithful weekend while making my way across painted white lines on asphalt. Soon enough, a scent of ground beans and vanilla filled my nostrils, my destination coming into full view as I took a right around a tall brick building.

"_We'll be leaving sometime this week. I'm a photographer, so I'll be taking photos and such… eh, I suppose you don't care."_ My mind managed to recall.

"Ara, not exactly."

"You sure I didn't?"

"I'm quite sure, Natsuki," I chuckled lightly, wondering what exactly she was doing right now. "So… are you still planning to come over for dinner?" I asked, cuffing my hand around the cell phone's speaker once a green light made way for the traffic's movement again.

"Oh, uh, yes! I'm just finishing some things from work. I'll be off in time to get ready," she paused. "What are you up to?" She asked rather abruptly, catching me off guard. I'm sure she could tell from the sudden hitch in my voice. "I mean, I'm just trying to get more familiar with you since we'll be together for four more months. And not to mention," her husky laugh vibrated against my cheek, "after Saturday, we need the practice." Wow, now if that wasn't the understatement of the year. With the mix ups of using formalities, the awkward eye contact, the horrible 'how we know each other' fabrications, and, the icing on the cake, that amazing shoe throw, I'm not sure how we fooled _anyone_.

"Um, I guess you can say I'm…," I trailed, not exactly sure what I was doing myself. It was a fair afternoon, and I had just gotten out of class a little more than an hour ago. Usually I'd be going to some kind of extracurricular activity or some political conference, but today I found myself with a free schedule, relying on my feet and senses to guide me to one of my favorite places. The scent of freshly baked delicacies and the chatter of pedestrians became stimulating with each passing second and every footstep in the right direction.

"Shizuru?"

The girl's voice brought me back from my ever consumed mind.

"Ara, I'm… I'm relaxing." _For once._

* * *

><p><strong>Author POV<strong>

The front glass doors going ajar couldn't have been much more than background noise as the blunette scanned through her pictures. Her pale thumb clicked along each saved image on the camera, a Nikon D4, her facial expressions broadcasting her opinion on the photos.

_Damn, I definitely told that girl to tilt her chin the OTHER way, _Natsuki mused crossly. She often found herself questioning the educational background of some of these models, since there were a few who could barely make out left from right. All of her hushed cussing and random abuses on the tabletop earned the biker some stares and strange looks, which is probably why the bench across from her in the quant booth was vacant whereas everywhere else in the café was literally packed – people's asses were hanging halfway off benches, having senselessly packed into seats just to avoid standing. Natsuki ran her slim fingers through her unruly mane, the morning's grooming hour not working out for her. She placed her equipment gently next to her steaming beverage, picking it up and refreshing her throat with its contents. Aside from the poor morning, which was also mayo-less, and her frustrating time at work, the girl had a pretty okay day overall; she and Nao were on better terms and she confirmed her plans with Shizuru concerning their dinner that night, which would be a step in the right direction from not so many days ago.

Natsuki turned her head towards the window, having grasped one of the few window seats, her hair casting an opaque veil around the side of her face as it fell over her shoulder. She silently gazed at the city she herself felt foreign to; the country she felt foreign to. Having been moved from orphanage to orphanage, school to school, Natsuki had no true home – even though her parents were alive when she was a toddler and sheltered her well under their care, how much would a toddler remember about having a home and how it should feel compared to everywhere else in the world? Natsuki never attained such feelings from any place or any_one_. Even staying with Nao and her mother, which was the closest it's been to having a commonplace, didn't feel quite right. The emerald eyed girl felt more like an intruder or freeloader rather than part of the family, living off the small earnings of a teenager and a sickly woman. That's why when she got the opportunity to move from under Nao's wing, she did it as quickly as she could, ignoring the redhead's protests and pleads to stay. No matter how crappy the place she lived in was compared to Nao's flat, she would put up with it rather than hang on someone else's shoulders.

Natsuki sighed, noticing her previous sip of the cardboard cup's contents would be her last.

_Refill_.

The blunette shouldered her camera after securing it in its bag, not trusting the other café patrons to leave it exposed on the table, and made her way to the front counter with a couple cents in hand, knowing good and well that this money-sucking establishment would charge her for another cup – she didn't care; she needed the caffeine fix.

_Maybe some chocolate chip cookies too._

"Thank you," Natsuki piped after receiving another steaming cup and a small bag of cookies, steadying the hot beverage in her hand as she made her way back to the vacant booth. Well, previously vacant.

_Who the hell's that?_

Slowing her approach, the blunette titled her head, trying to see the woman's face. Her long locks were also curtaining the side of her face as she peered out the window. Natsuki stopped and looked around hoping that someone else had left and freed open another seat.

"Ara… Natsuki?" At the sound of the accented voice, Natsuki's eyes widened; she couldn't say she wasn't surprised once she looked back at the voice's source, emeralds connecting with rubies.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki regarded the girl, who was dressed a little… _out of character_. The past times the biker saw the Kyoto born, she'd be clad in some kind of formal attire – button up blouse with a pleaded skirt or slacks or a dress. Even in Vegas the girl was not ordinarily outfitted, wearing a frilly blouse under a wool pea coat, some kind of expensive bag Natsuki didn't recognize on her shoulder. Today the girl was wearing an oversized sweatshirt with a pair of skinny jeans and adidas sandals. _Looks like she raided my closet or something_, Natsuki jeered.

"So what are you doing here?" The blunette said now grinning, feeling a little less grumpy due to her new company.

"I'm relaxing," the chestnut beauty gestured to her steaming cup of tea. "And you're… finishing things from _work_," the girl smirked, pointing at the bag of cookies and coffee.

"Oh, I'm uh, I–" Natsuki stuttered, remembering their phone call from earlier. "– It's not what you think," the blunette deadpanned, an embarrassed blush consuming her cheeks. She then unstrapped her digital camera from her shoulder, taking out the equipment and placing it on the table. "I was doing this." Facing the camera's main screen towards Shizuru, Natsuki slid the device across the table.

"Ara, can I...?" Shizuru pointed at the rigged out camera, not even knowing what button to push in order to see the photos.

"Yeah, I trust you." The girl had a smile that caused Shizuru to stare, if only momentarily before shying away.

"Press the button with the silver ring around it."

The college student looked at the camera again, searching for this silver-ringed button, though to her every button seemed to look silver-ringed. Feeling the raven haired girl's stare bore into her, Shizuru lightly laughed, placing the camera onto the table. "Sorry, I can't find it."

"It's okay, here."

Natsuki got up after taking a small swig of coffee, smoothly sliding from her bench and maneuvering over to Shizuru, leaning slightly over her shoulder. Dark hair fell over the brunette's shoulder, light breath with a heavy scent coca beans mere inches away from the girl's ear.

"S-Sorry," Natsuki muttered dolefully, retreating after feeling the girl tense up at her presence. The biker hated feeling the awkwardness between them despite how freely they were able to talk at times. Since their _almost kiss_, which they had avoided talking about since that night, some of their conversations felt a bit forced, and, even though the blunette didn't notice it until her opposite shied away just now, getting close to each other brought back memories of the failed kiss and the actions that got them in this situation in the first place.

Shizuru pressed the button Natsuki guided her to, and soon the screen came to life, a Nikon logo flashing upon the screen.

"Go to album," Natsuki said once the camera's main menu was opened, still standing behind the girl but keeping a fair distance. She watched as delicate fingers pressed the arrow button, finding the properly titled folder and pressing 'ok'.

Being taken aback would have been an understatement for Shizuru as she looked at the photos that seemed to be straight from a magazine.

"Well, they are going into a magazine," Natsuki chuckled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," the blunette smirked, returning to her spot across the bench seeing that the younger woman was no longer needing help. Natsuki made it a task to watch the girl's face as she looked through the photos, expressions changing from stunned to intrigued, perfectly shaped eyebrows rising and furrowing as deep eyes examined the blunette's work. Natsuki felt herself becoming lost – she had to look away, but she couldn't. She wanted to watch the girl more, to become familiar with that face and those expressions, though she didn't want to make a fool of herself – these short meetings and brief phone calls were all they'd ever be; it was only a job, a four month one at that.

"Ara, those were amazing! You're very good at photography," Shizuru gushed, scooting the camera back towards Natsuki.

"It's not that hard to be good at something you like. Besides, taking pictures of beautiful things – moments, scenery, _people_ – that part's easy. The hard part is finding those things." Shizuru thought about the girl's statement while sipping her tea.

"I guess it's not that hard then; the models come to you, right?"

"Don't let the 'model' title fool you," Natsuki sneered. "Some of those girls can't even spell beauty. Don't get me wrong, there are some really multi-talented girls in the modeling field, but the other ones just rode their image to success. I don't believe in things like that."

"Well… what do you believe in?"

Natsuki refocused her gaze that had begun drifting off to the window back to Shizuru, who seemed rather attentive, waiting for an answer.

"Myself."

* * *

><p>My footsteps sounded against light concrete again as I walked along the sidewalk, though I was accompanied by another set of feet this time.<p>

"So, Tokyo U, huh? That's a fancy school." I turned to the husky voiced girl who was walking shoulder-to-shoulder with me, her eyes set on the bold letters written across my sweatshirt.

"That's what everyone says, but its average."

We had decided to leave the café if only ten minutes ago, Natsuki saying it wouldn't kill her to join me since she was practically done with everything for her work having already finished looking through the photos from the day's shoot. My thoughts lingered back on her response just before leaving. To be honest, I expected her to say something like 'friends' or 'family,' though her answer just shrouds more mystery around her, reminding me that I really don't know who my 'fiancé' is at all.

"How'd you end up out here?"

"What?" I looked over to her, though I instantly regretted that after capturing staring emeralds, forcing my gaze back towards the path ahead.

"In Tokyo. I take it from your accent you're not from around here?"

"I'm from Kyoto," I smiled grievingly; saying the name of my old home brings back a mixture of emotions, the place holding times to be cherished and events to be forgotten. "I would say that I moved here for college, but that would be a lie. My mom and dad had a rocky relationship, and after their split my dad and I moved to the city." I looked over to Natsuki, and for once I was able to watch her unnoticed. Her hair blew by the wind's force, a few strands stuck in her leather jacket. All I could catch was the pale skin of her face's profile, her eyes un-viewable from the side. "But I guess it was a plus-plus situation despite what happened with my mom. Dad was able to move closer to his business and get involved in politics and I was able to go to a good school."

"Yeah sounds good."

"Mmhmm. So… what about you?"

"From what I've been told, I've always lived in Tokyo."

'_What I've been told'? What does she mean? _

"With your parents?" My gaze was still on the girl, who began swaying her head, the look on her face unreadable.

"I lived with them, but not for long. They both died when I was three."

I stopped in my tracks, the girl still slowly pacing down the sidewalk which was taking us through a park, a few people scattered throughout.

"Natsuki… I-I'm so sorry, I-I–."

"Don't sweat it," she faced me with a half-smile. "They were in a car accident. Life happens." Slowly, she walked back towards me, visibly hesitating before placing a hand on my back and softly patting in the space between my shoulder blades.

"Shouldn't I be the one consoling you?" I lowered my head, though still failed to miss the girl's troubled smile in my peripheral.

"Nah. Every time I tell someone my background, the mood seems to go to shit creek," she chuckled lightly, the rasp sound filling my ears. "Besides, I can barely remember them without a picture. I feel like it would be more devastating to lose Nao or her mom or something compared to them, as sad as that sounds." I nodded, trying to understand the girl's logic but still feeling incredibly grief-stricken for even bringing up what seems like a horrible past. I can't even imagine how I'd feel losing my mom, who I haven't spoken to once in over a year.

"Nao...?"

"I lived with her since middle school… I guess you can say we're inseparable seeing that I'm still around that idiot."

"Oh…," I couldn't manage to say much more, not knowing what exactly I should say.

"I don't live with her anymore, though," she quickly admitted, almost defensively. "Up into high school I had been staying with her. She decided not to go to college, saying that her mom needed the money more for her medical expenses. I, on the other hand, managed to pay my way into community college with the small amount of money I had left entrusted to me." I nodded, gaining a bit more respect for the redhead.

"And… sorry, I kinda didn't explain the band thing quite well before."

"No, it's okay," I waved dismissively, "Nao's a great singer." _She'd probably be even better at discus…_

It just dawned on me that during such a brief time I managed to learn so much about the girl, who really held more to herself than her exterior presented. Her rough childhood to her living with Nao to how she became a photographer; she had told me so much and all I shared was how I came to live in Tokyo, which was rather bland in comparison. For some reason, I feel like the girl is so much more appealing this way, intriguing even, as a regular citizen rather than her fashionable, statement-making disguise. It was hard to keep my eyes off 'him' that night, though it was more because of the shock that behind that mask was this girl, this girl who made me cautious to look her direction without being caught. My mind wasn't making sense during most of the time I've been with her, of how I didn't hesitate to look at the girl at Tomoe's party while drone upon the sticky situation I've placed my father in. Now I can't even trace my mind away from the emerald eyed girl, her very presence drawing my senses, but I don't want to look at her, for the fear of… for the fear of something I'm not even aware of.

_What's wrong with you, Shizuru?_

Suddenly, a strange noise broke into my thoughts. I found myself starting into a camera lens.

"Ara, what are you doing?" I squealed, shielding my face with oversized, cotton sleeves. The girl moved around me, trying to snap another photo which I managed to block.

"My job." She stated bluntly, her finger clicking another photo.

"Natsuki," I said straight-faced, though her small snicker made me feel unlike my expression.

"What? You were looking so methodical for a second there. It was attractive," she blushed at her own words. I had no clue how I looked, the unusual feeling in coursing through my body distracting enough.

"Trying to flirt, Kuga?"

Her camera raised to her face again, snapping my sarcastic expression.

"Not trying, succeeding."

A heat resembling the summer sun marked my face, contrasting with the nippy late fall winds. I quickly diverted my eyes. How exactly was I supposed to respond to that openly?

"Gotcha again," the blunette said, toting a lopsided smirk. She laughed again before lowering the device, I'm guessing reviewing her paparazzi work. An untraceable expression flashed on her face upon looking at the photos, though before I could question it, her playful demeanor returned. "You know, if I'm gonna be your pretend fiancé, you ought to get used to this."

"Be my guest."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: No telling how long I had half of this chapter sitting on my laptop… I wasn't quite sure on how to wrap this up, whether or not I should include the dinner and whatnot, though I'm leaving that for next chapter. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this shorter chapter (I feel like it's been too long since I posted the last one, so I wanted to give you guys at least **_**something**_**. As I was saying in the 1****st**** A/N, there's new fanart on my photobucket by twenty-six whitewave, who did an awesome job! If anyone else wants to do any fanart, I'd be estatic and love you forever, lol. If you do, please PM me with a link! ^_^ Also, the reason I said you all should be thankful for the mixed point of views is because I wrote the next chapter already (sans the dinner scene, which I'll be adding). The next chapter's contents were originally going to be this chapter, but I kinda felt that the story would seem more rushed, which I'm trying to avoid. And I apologize for any mistakes… I think I had a concussion while writing some of this, but I didn't see a doctor… maybe I should O.o**

… **Another long A/N, sorry haha. Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for all the reviews so far! They've really helped.**

– **Ocha-chan**

**p.s.: check out my new story if you haven't already! It's called The Most Fascinating person I've Never Met…**

**p.s.s.: I don't own the song in the beginning… but if anyone can tell me where it's from, I'll give you a shout out, lol.**


	8. Deserving Enough

**DISCLAIMER: I have no ownership of MaiHime.**

* * *

><p><span>Deserving Enough<span>

My thumbs remained hooked in my back pockets as I gazed at the trees looming overhead, walking carelessly while my camera swayed back and forth around my neck.

"_See you tonight?"_

Those words managed to be the last between Shizuru and I before she walked the opposite direction down this path cutting through the park, my feet headed back towards the café's parking lot. Never did I think I'd end up in a predicament such as this, but then again, life isn't supposed to be predictable.

I pulled out my phone, checking the time.

_**3:39pm**_

Would only a few hours be enough? Would _any _amount of time prepare me for meeting with Tokyo's potential governor and basically convincing him that I am 'fake-right' for his daughter? Hell, I wouldn't know. Even though Shizuru and I discussed my background and what to say, I still haven't figured out how to word it or how to act. The only thing I could tell myself was 'make it better than Saturday'. _Anything_ better than that night. Since then, I've been spending my spare time doing something, once again, I never imagined: researching things about men. How to be chivalrous, what they were interested in and discussed with other men, some of their 'meet-the-parents' experiences – everything I found was helpful, though I still had to consider the fact that none of these things pertained to meeting _Shizuru's_ father, or what the public eye's expectations were of me. I could only help but think that I was getting a taste of the Kyoto-born's life, and I was beyond sure after just a few days that I didn't want it. I'd never call myself avidly religious, but I've been finding myself praying more often for someone to just take it all back – those drinks, this life. Just take it.

Red flashed right before my eyes, and a part of me feared a certain style of shoe before I made sense of where I was.

"Sorry, miss!" I blinked a few times before turning to see a boy running towards me, his dark, medium length locks whipping behind him as he ran. _What the hell was…_ In a timely manner, I managed to hear a clunk over the rest of the chatter going on within the park, a red Frisbee resting atop the grass a few feet behind me. I end up meeting the boy halfway, plastic disc in tow.

"I-I didn't throw it at you, I swear," he says after stopping briefly to catch his breath, hands just above his kneecaps as he's hunched over. _Well that's a relief, _I smiled.

"You ran here from over there?" I pointed to the other side of the park, forcing the boy to look up and trace my hand to the indicated area.

"Y-Yeah, I d-did."

"That was one heck of a throw."

"Yeah, and you're talking to the person who's been chasing them down all afternoon," he sputtered cholerically, earning a hearty laugh from me. I'd be damned if I were him; all I could do was feel bad for the kid.

"Saito! Don't worry, I'll buy another one if you can't find it. Hey, where are y–" the yelling stops, the gaze of both Saito and I meeting a man's silhouette atop the slope separating that part of the park from the adjacent side.

"My brother." The boy answered my thoughts, keeping his eyes on the approaching figure. I just watched with Saito as his brother got closer, the both of us beginning to walk forward a bit, meeting him a couple seconds faster.

"You found it!" Saito's brother approached him, giving his sweat-drenched hair a ruffle before acknowledging me. "Hello," the older boy smiled, its brightness contrasting with his dark eyes and hair.

_Common family traits, I suppose._

"Hi," I returned the gesture, my conscious looming in the back of my mind over what the hell I was doing. What the hell _am _I doing? I'm sure I have something else to do right now. I should just excuse myself and–

"My name's Takeda. I hope my brother didn't try running you over."

"No, he was fine. I think I had a little bit more of a problem with the Frisbee about to slice my head off, but you know, I'm good now."

"Oh, I-I see," he chuckled a bit, scratching at his head. "Sorry about that. It wasn't intentional."

"No need to be. I might have exaggerated a little a couple seconds ago, but I was serious when I said I was good. See," I cupped my head, my hands going to my temples. "Head's still here." We both laughed, unaware of the impatient kid next to us.

"Can we go home now?" The whine reached our ears from below, breaking the small talk. "We've been at this Frisbee crap for hours now," he pouted.

"Sai," Takeda squatted to the boy's eye level, taking the Frisbee from his hand and grasping his shoulder. "You'd think I was the one trying out for the ultimate Frisbee team," he stated, his tone stern but not harsh. "I just want to make sure your name is on the roster this time." He rose from the ground, facing me, "The coach is biased, I'm telling you."

"Really, now," I said with a smirk, willing to hear him out.

"Yeah, he accepted a partially _blind_ kid over my brother. Now what the hell's that about? I mean, that was a very kind thing to do, but if you're gonna do that, you obviously have more slots available for the team!"

"Takeda, it really doesn't matter that much…" I heard the boy mutter before letting the subject drop and staring at the grass. He steadied his sight upon it, provoking me to peer down as well. Maybe there was something there that I wasn't seeing.

"Well," I forced my eyes back to Saito's face, and then to his brothers'. "I'm sure everything will work out for the best."

"I sure hope so."

_Me too_, I thought, though in reference to something else. The dinner crossed my mind again as it had been doing all morning. I really had to get going.

"It was nice meeting you both," I began after a brief silence, my feet already starting a backwards trek.

"It was." Gosh, you'd think if he'd smile anymore his face would break. "See you around, maybe." His last statement slowed my pace. Did he mean it as a question? Because, unless you're acquaintances, the first time you bump into someone in Tokyo is usually the last time you'll see them. If not, than either time or forgetfulness would erode the memory of meeting one another anyways.

"Nah, I don't think so," I said, still pedaling backwards as I spoke.

"You can never know. Some say Tokyo is just as small as it is large."

* * *

><p>"<em>My name is Natsuki… Natsuki–"<em>

"_Kruger."_

"_Kruger?" My brows furrowed at the chestnut haired woman, a little bewildered about her choice of surname. It sounds like someone's been watching a little too many American horror classics. "That sounds too foreign, doesn't it?"_

"_I guess. I was just going off the 'K' in your real surname," she shrugged beside me. "I don't know, can you think of anything better?" Her arms crossed in front of her chest as we walked, the scent of freshly cut grass wavering under our noses. The sun shone over our heads, though its rays weren't as prevalent as they would be if it were around two o'clock in the spring or summer._

"_Not really." I answered honestly. I was so–o not good at stuff like this, seeing I always got a headache when thinking too precisely about things. _

"_And now that I think about it… a foreign name would be better than a Japanese one."_

"_And why's that?" I face the girl, though she turned away just as I lifted my head from the gravel-coated pathway within the park._

"_Well… I think it's best to have your background as far away from Japan as possible. Because… if you were born and raised in another country, I'm sure it'd be harder for people to trace your actual origins. It would make it almost a burden to the point where they wouldn't want to."_

"_But there's always gonna be that one person who'd be willing to put up with that burden." Instantly Chie popped into mind. If she were on the reporter or paparazzi side of this situation, her nose would be buried deep in whatever resources she could find._

"_Y-You're right…," Even without the slight stutter, I could visibly notice the shift in the girl. Her arms stiffened under her breasts, her feet coming out of sync with her previous pace. Tracing back to her face (I didn't want to seem like a perv staring at her boobs…), I watched as her teeth captured her bottom lip, the pink flesh turning a lighter shade as her teeth applied pressure to the muscle. She became unsettled. "I-I don't kn–"_

"_We'll just have to not worry about them." I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let them pull their own hair out." She turned to me for what seemed like the second time on our walk, though this time our gaze didn't break. I tried to smile, to dissipate all of that doubt I could see clouding up those wine red orbs._

"_We don't have to go with Kruger…"_

"_Natsuki Kruger it is." Her eyes widened._

"_But–"_

"_It was a good idea! And hell, I wouldn't be able to come up with anything else, I told you that before. Let's just…," I removed my hand from her shoulder, my palm instantly feeling much cooler. "Let's keep going with this." I saw the college student nod slightly, accepting what I had said._

"_So… so when you introduce yourself, you'd say…"_

"Natsuki Kruger, sir." I smiled as I enveloped his hand with my own, the conversation I had with Shizuru mere hours ago distinctively clear in my mind. The pointers we covered on my false background seemed to be on repeat, almost ensuring that there'd be no loose ends. Or so I hoped. "But just Nat is fine."

"Okay… Nat," he looked at me almost skeptically, his handshake a bit firmer than the usual, his eye contact a bit terse. I guess his father side was replacing the politician.

"Hi, daddy," Shizuru smiled after coming from behind me and hugged him, the man's eyes which were so cold before warming up in an instant. Watching them… I can't help but be jealous. It was probably one of the only things I could truly say I wanted in life, and right in front of me, there it was.

"Shizuru, sweetie." He pecked her on the cheek before motioning us through the door. I couldn't help but take a step back once the three of us made our way in the foyer, my attention attracted to the elegant and comfortable décor. The walls were lavished in a warm golden tone, framed by crown molding. The furniture went along very nicely with the elegance theme, the dark maple wood chairs and tables making the setting very archaic and traditional. As Shizuru and her father led me through this labyrinth of a house, I couldn't help but notice all the pictures hung along the walls. Framed in another dark, glossy wood, the pictures told of political affairs and events, Shizuru's father standing clad in a business suit with others, all of them smiling. Others depicted a younger version of Shizuru, some of her in her teen years, fashioning a gown with her hands thrown over the shoulders of surrounding girls. The older photos showed her flashing missing teeth and messy hair. I couldn't help but smile at those. We turned another corner, and though most of the lefts and rights we took went unnoticed by me while picture gazing, I couldn't help but recognize this one as the walls shifted from their yellowish hue to a darker tone.

"Here we are," the brunette's father said as we walked around one side of the table set in the middle of the room, a crystal-like chandelier hanging overhead. Food was already scattered across the table, dishes varying in size, though all of them seemed to be centered around the largest plate. "Are you a vegetarian, Nat?"

"N-No, Fujino-san."

"That's good." He sat down and scooted forward in a seat, meanwhile I made an effort to help Shizuru get seated. I could feel his eyes boring down on me as I pulled out her chair and waited for Shizuru to sit down, pushing her closer to the table once she did so.

"Thank you." She looked over her shoulder towards me with a smile, though I could tell she was nervous. I just wondered if her father could notice it too. The politician picked up the stack of clean plates sitting to his right atop the silk table cloth as I sat directly in front of him and on Shizuru's left. He passed an individual plate to his daughter before setting the rest down in the middle of the table. He took another plate off the stack, though instead of handing it to me like I thought, he brought it to his own spoon and dumped a hunk of rice on it.

"Rice, Shizuru?"

"Yes. Here, I'll take it," she reached across the table and took the warm bowl from her father's hand. She picked up my spoon and proceeded to put rice on a new plate for me to my surprise and, obviously, her father's. He stopped eating to watch the ordeal.

"Thanks…sweetie." I cringed as the nickname rolled of my tongue even though it was my idea this afternoon to try it out. _Never again._

We all finished gathering food on our plates, Shizuru's dad helping his daughter while I helped myself to everything else I wanted. The dinner felt like it was inching by, fifteen minutes already passing and all we managed to do was pick what we wanted to eat. I couldn't imagine how long it'd take us to eat it.

I searched around the table some more, though couldn't find what I was looking for–

"So, Nat." A thicker Kyoto accent than what I'm used to sounded as the man took a breather from his plate. "You know," he used his fork to absentmindedly flip around a piece of chicken, his gaze steadied upon the meat. "This is all a bit odd for me… meeting you for the first time while you claim to be my daughter's fiancé." I could feel my jaw slightly lower. How the hell was I supposed to respond to that?

"Well, I can explain–"

"It was kind of disrespectful too, you know, finding out like this. So late."

"Dad." Shizuru chimed in very disapprovingly, though even her remark couldn't waver her father's transfixed gaze from his plate. If Shizuru couldn't steer him off topic, I knew hell would probably freeze over if I could.

Meaning I couldn't.

"What makes you think I'd give you my blessing to take away my only child. My baby girl, when I don't even _know_ you." His eyes met mine as he finished. I could have died right there.

So early, it seemed, was our plan falling apart. My perspiring hands clutched onto my napkin, the look that was so firmly planted upon me churning my insides and making me feel like hurling right then and there. We were too cocky. _I_ was too cocky, I supposed. What made me think that I could possibly fool this girl's father? The man who's been with her all her life, watching her growth, _influencing_ her growth. If anyone in all of Japan would know, he would. And right now, it felt like he did know that something was up.

"You know," he chuckled mockingly, finally breaking his glare. I could feel the oxygen reenter my lungs. "When I first heard about this," he gestured between Shizuru and I, "I kinda felt like killing you. But I don't know, that sounds a little too harsh."

_Yeah. Just a little bit._

I searched for Shizuru's eyes to my right, not wanting to be too obvious, though I just had to see what was going on in her mind. But I was drawing a blank when I ended up looking directly into ruby eyes. They sparkled as if tears where about to fall, a small quiver in her lips reaffirming that assumption. But what she was so distraught over, I couldn't tell. Was it her guilt kicking in? Was she feeling sorry for me… I don't know. Teeth reclaimed that bottom lip again, the sight I usually couldn't help but stare at unsettling my stomach even more. If she was beginning to lose as much hope as I was, this whole thing was about to spiral downhill. I had to do _something_.

"I spent time thinking about meeting you when I should have been focusing on campaigning. But obviously my daughter is more important than any of that," he placed his fork on the table cloth soundlessly, his demeanor very calm despite everything coming from his mouth. "I'm just wondering what makes you think you even deserve the right to marry my daughter?"

Two sets of eyes steadied upon me, and if the walls or any furniture could brandish eyes, I'm positive they would have been gazing at me as well. Just Shizuru's father's were enough.

"I… I," in the most necessary time I ever needed my voice, I couldn't find it. My throat became so dry in an instant that no amount of water could alleviate the feeling. My mind couldn't conjure anything useful either.

Eventually every second became painful, taking jabs at my sides while they ticked away. Dark scarlet eyes were fixated upon my face the whole time, as if the answers to his questions were written there. And maybe they were.

Did I look nearly as distressed as I felt?

"Dad, can we, uh… can we talk in the hallway very briefly?" My head whipped to Shizuru's place at the head of the table. What was she thinking?

"Sure." Chairs rubbed against the hardwood flooring loudly as they exited the table. An intense heat surged through my body when the politician walked behind me to leave the room, and I could have sworn that eventually that man would be the death of me. How could I possibly take four months of that?

Well, if we even get that far. That's assuming we make it past this dinner.

Once the door audibly closed, it felt like my body was melting into the seat, the back of my vest meeting the frame of the wooden chair. I wiped at my hairline, parts of the wig sticking to my forehead due to the cold sweat it felt like I had from just sitting in the room under all that attack.

_Holy shit._

I looked at my plate, none of the food being touched at all. Now I wasn't even feeling hungry despite having only the things I bought from the café to eat. If I ate, I was sure my stomach wouldn't be able to hold everything down if I got another one of those glares again. The looks that man gave felt like that one morning in Vegas all over again.

Minutes eased by, and all I could do, really, was sit there and admire the intricate designs in the table cloth. No amount of fabrications, research, or anything could have prepared me for what I just faced, I realized, so I didn't bother with thinking about any of that. Heck, I wasn't capable of thinking anymore.

My eyes started to drift around the room, fully examining the deep, rich navy blue walls that were within it. Lighter blue curtains with detailed golden patterns shimmered as the light from the chandelier reflected on its surface. If there was anything I could be sure about once leaving this dinner, it was that the house was in fact beautiful. There were two small tables in the room, each lining along the wall in the space between the two windows that enclosed it. And once again, there were pictures on them, too. I couldn't help but wonder if the Fujinos had memory problems; I wouldn't be surprised if someone could line up every picture in the house and create a detailed timeline from them.

I stood from my seat slowly. I could still hear voices going in the hallway, though I couldn't possibly make out what they were saying. And at this point, I wasn't sure if I wanted to. Once I was finally free from the table, I maneuvered my way to the nearest small table. The two pictures there were very much like the ones outside of the room, both being of Shizuru and her dad somewhere in Japan, I supposed. They were cheesing and holding up peace signs in one of them, and I couldn't help but think the girl's father looked kind of silly with his jeans and t-shirt. A suit definitely served him more justice.

I moved to the other table, and, call me silly, though my body just felt tense going passed the chair the man sat in. Maybe tonight would cause permanent trauma.

When I made my way to the table, my eyes were met with two more pictures. One of which didn't have Shizuru or her father in it at all; I'm guessing it was a photo of friends or something. I could feel my nerves easing while examining the photo, though every word that was said… about ten minutes ago, now, was looming in the back of my mind.

I sat down the picture frame, setting it back up again. I reached for the one behind it next, though as I picked it up, a slip of paper fell from the back of it. _Shoot_. I turned and looked back to the door leading into the dining room before bending down and reaching under the table where the paper fell. When my hand finally met it amidst the cobwebs between the table's legs and the wall, I could tell it wasn't just a slip of paper.

It was another photo.

My eyes widened when I flipped the photo over.

_Shizuru?_

My brows furrowed as I peered at the woman staring back at me.

No, it couldn't be. The photo seemed to be in too old of a condition for it to be a photo of Shizuru as a young adult, which she was currently. Besides, when taking a closer look, the woman's eyes shone a light blue hue, the crystal-like eyes in a crescent shape as she smiled gracefully towards me from the photo._ Her mother…_

She was beautiful.

Shizuru may have gotten her father's exotic eyes and tense glare, though she definitely had her mother's looks and charms. Though from the way Shizuru spoke of her earlier today, or maybe from the lack of good things she had to say about the woman, I knew I couldn't just base her personality on how she looked. But I did have to admit Fujino-san had excellent taste in women. She looked like an angel. Her hair, curlier than Shizuru's, curled around her face, framing it well. Her smile almost looked like an embarrassed one from the position she had her head, as if she was trying to turn away.

Did… did Shizuru's dad take this photo? _Why wasn't it properly cased in its own frame…?_

I flipped the picture over again, this time searching for a date or anything to indicate when this was taken. For some reason I wanted to know more about Shizuru's mother. I mean, you wouldn't just divorce a woman like _that_. It'd be hard to find another.

"Natsuki?"

I quickly slipped the photo into its original place behind the picture frame I never got the chance to really look at. Though that didn't matter as I turned and saw the chestnut haired girl and her father reenter the room. Shizuru shot me a questioning look as I walked towards her to get to my seat, and I did the same.

I wanted to know what she had said out there, though I knew it would have to wait. Shizuru's dad took the opposite way around the table, likely to avoid me I thought, though when we were both seated in front of each other he gave me one of the faintest smiles.

What the hell had Shizuru done.

I was lucky my neck didn't snap at the speed I turned to look at the girl. She smiled sweetly as her hands reclaimed her fork and knife, cutting her chicken and plopping it into her mouth with a spoonful of rice.

The dinner went on less theatrically from that point on, the three of us engaging in small talk. Occasionally Shizuru's dad would ask me questions which he had the right to do, though they weren't nearly as invasive or pressuring as I thought they'd be. Though one question had me worried…

"_Nat."_

"_Yes, Fujino-san?"_

"_You… you have a very delicate face." He leaned over his plate, eyeing me hard again like earlier. I couldn't budge though. I didn't want him to think anything of it._

"_My mother had a delicate face, sir."_

"_And your father?"_

_Ah, shit. Shizuru and I didn't necessarily talk too much about how to cover up my looks. I mean, everyone so far thought I looked guyish enough… though I guess at the end of the day, there was no denying my true gender and the features outlining that._

_I guess I'd have to take another approach._

"_I've never met my father, sir."_

"_Oh," he leaned back more into his chair, looking at his plate a bit awkwardly before picking up his fork again. I couldn't help but think how alike Shizuru and her dad were. Earlier when I admitted to Shizuru that my parents were dead, she reacted the same way by shying away and acting as if she wished she never asked. I guess the saying like father, like daughter rings true._

"_Though I did hear he was handsome. He had beauty like a woman," _I added, not wanting him to feel too bad. Just feeling a tad bad was enough. I mean, I did want to get him back for making me almost want to piss myself earlier, though I needed to gain his trust first_._

_Then_ I could make him feel bad. And oh boy, would I.

The rest of the night seemed to go by pretty well despite me feeling the older man's eyes linger on me occasionally. The three of us ended up goofing around with jokes and bashing other politicians (I had to research in order to pull that off). I still didn't really manage to eat anything, just a piece of chicken here, a vegetable there. I could barely contain my nerves, though everything after that initial incident seemed to be much smoother. Whatever Shizuru did was like magic. Because I was positive that at one point, shit was hitting the fan at high speeds.

"Shiz, Nat," Fujino-san said while rising from the table, the table cloth clinging to his pants before he brushed it off. "I'll get the dishes. You two can make your way to the living room."

"Thanks, daddy," Shizuru said while walking past me before leaving the room. I sure hope she's waiting for me since I wouldn't know how to find the living room without a map.

"Yes, thank you sir. And the food was delicious." My mind teetered on something that had been floating around in my thoughts all evening. I had to ask. "Um, Fujino-san?"

"Nat."

"Did you… did you prepare all of this?" I could see the faintest of smiles before he turned his head and looked at the wall. He nodded.

"Listen, Nat. I have one more question for the night."

_Oh boy._

"Yes?"

"Can you cook?"

Can Natsuki Kuga cook? Hell no. Could Natsuki Kruger…?

"… I've been working on it sir. I'll keep working on it," I lied. But then again, what had I been doing the entire night?

"Well someone needs to be, because I can tell you now who isn't." I started to grin when what he was saying finally settled in. He smiled a little again, though his serious demeanor resettled quickly. "Alright, boy, get out of here before I change my mind about doing the dishes."

"You got it."

When I left the dining room, I nearly collided into Shizuru. She was waiting for me _directly_ in front of the door.

"S-Sorry… I kinda stepped on your dress," I said while eyeing her outfit. It was one of those patterned strapless dresses that reached all the way to her ankles. She wore it well. _Well, usually anything she wears looks–_

"No, you're okay. It's okay." The brunette turned away from me in an instant and began walking down the hallway, leading me towards the living room I supposed. _What was up with her?_

"Shizuru," I called her name once we entered the vast space which was seemingly wall-less. The ceiling looked down from way above our heads, an L shaped couch and a coffee table facing a flat screen television in its sights. The girl did not stop walking though, going past the couches at a leisurely pace. "Shizuru!"

"I'm sorry," I could barely hear her from her turned position. It was hard to make out anything she was doing, though I could see the slight rising of her shoulders once she finally came to a stop.

"Shizuru, what are you–"

"I'm so, so sorry," I managed to hear when I approached her back, at shoulders length from her now.

I still couldn't tell what was going on. Was she crying? What had happened? She was just smiling minutes ago… _Shizuru, just turn around and let me see your face. Let me help you…_

"Hey, what happened–"

In the blink of an eye, the girl had her arms wrapped around my back, her chin resting on my right shoulder. This was close, way too close than I ever imagined getting to the girl since that Saturday night, and the same things that were apparent that time were apparent now, too. A scent of tea embodied her presence, the feel of her soft skin and hair tickling my cheek reminding my awfully of that morning in Vegas when I held her hand, her fingers fitting well between mine. Her chest was pressed against mine, and, I swear, if we had a few drinks I could see things going downhill again.

But I had to accept that… that none of this right now was real.

"Natsuki," she almost whispered, her voice tickling my ear due to the closeness of her lips. My hands still hung dully at my side, my body still stunned and unsure if it were okay to touch her back. I understood that technically right now we were already touching, though whenever I touched her now, it always felt… awkward.

"W-Why, why are you…?" I muttered dumbly, still a little confused with the sudden contact.

"Natsuki," my name was said again in all its raspy goodness, "you didn't deserve what happened tonight. And I am so sorry that happened to you."

My mind lingered back to that intense sequence involving her father and me. I honestly thought all of that underlying anger came naturally with the role of being a father, but then again, I wouldn't necessarily understand. "He's you're father. I can understand."

"No," I felt her shake her head next to my own, her chin rubbing teasingly on my shoulder. "It's not just that. That anger… It's just that my relationships he all supported me in never worked out. And I guess, because of that, he really didn't trust you at the moment. He still doesn't, not in one night, he wouldn't."

"I know," I could feel my arms leaving my sides hesitantly.

"But still… I felt like I had set you up. Kannin-na…"

"Shizuru…," _You're too cute..._ I had wanted to say, but decided against it. "Please don't feel bad, because whatever you managed to do after the fact definitely saved us tonight." Just before I had finally made the decision to attempt to hold her back, her body slipped away from mine, her absence leaving me feeling a kind of emptiness I wasn't vaguely aware of beforehand.

"Yes… I had to tweak a few things in your background."

"Yeah, like what?" I asked, still feeling regretful I didn't make my decision earlier.

"Well… I kinda told him you weren't used to customs here in Japan since you grew up abroad and that you didn't have any intention to disrespect him. I also told him that you worked for a travel magazine and went all over the world often, and so we didn't have much time to coordinate anything with him. I met you while you were working here in Japan."

How she had time to come up with all that beats me. "What magazine did you say I worked for?" If she told him, she should have at least given him a good one.

"I don't remember, I don't think I gave an exact name. We should think about it a little more."

"Yeah, you're right. But when? I work through the weekend for this upcoming week."

"I don't know, but I liked our little coffee date earlier." D-Date? I could feel my cheeks rising now. "Maybe we could do something like that more often?"

"Y-Yeah, maybe."

The rest of the night made the dinner seem centuries long, our post-dinner conversations went by quickly and before I knew it, I was headed for the door. _I never thought I'd make it…_

As we were leaving, I stopped at the doorway one last time to face Shizuru's father, my 'fiancée' continued heading to her car since she drove us both here. I'm sure the cows would have all jumped over the damn moon if her father heard us, let alone saw us pulling up to his door in my Ducati. If he already was wary of me, he had another thing coming. Before we left, I managed to get out the classic 'I love her…' line, explaining that I cared so much for his daughter and I'd definitely try to show it. I'm not sure if it mattered, because in the end, he shooed me away almost as abruptly as I brought up the topic.

Despite parts of the night being rocky… who am I kidding, I mean mountainous, I felt like towards the end I could get Fujino-san to like me.

But it would take some work.

* * *

><p>Noise was everywhere around the girl as she sat on one of the park benches by herself, the tall light overhead casting shadows over her grey hoodie. A crowd of people were all walking past her, smiling, laughing and talking, all having enjoyed their night. Despite the darkness having settled in the sky, she still wore her black aviators, though more for identity protection than guarding her eyes. She checked her phone for the nth time that day.<p>

**10:51pm**

_She said she'd come._

The girl removed her hood, revealing her bold red hair. A few people looked, though no one stopped, all heading towards the park gate.

_She said she'd be here._

"Ma'am? Ma'am. The park is closing now. You need to leave."

The girl ignored the park worker, her numb butt remaining glued in her seat.

_She said I was paying, I paid._

She fingered the entry ticket inside of her hoodie's front pocket, having planned to meet the girl at the gate when she arrived.

_If she arrived._

"Ma'am, you need to go _now_," she grabbed the girl's shoulder.

"Get the hell off me," she spat, standing up and barely able to steady herself, her legs having gone numb after sitting for hours waiting near the park's main entrance. Even though every step she took felt like a thousand needles were pricking her, the pain didn't register. She felt too tired, too numb to care, and after being harassed all day by chilling winds, nothing could have made her day worse.

Only one person could have made her day better.

And that person never showed up.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Remember when I said I had half of this chapter written up already? Well, after experiencing massive writers block and just life getting in the way of things, I scratched everything I had written before and stayed up all night writing this (forgive me for typos). So now I am going to bed, and will not wake up until I am fully rested. Which may be past noon.**

**Leave me some nice reviews for when I awake, and happy fourth!**

– **Exhausted Ocha-chan**


End file.
